


Part I: Beginnings; The Mandalore Chapters

by chainsawdog



Series: Rewriting History [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-28
Updated: 2016-05-10
Packaged: 2018-06-05 01:29:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 105
Words: 51,828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6683920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chainsawdog/pseuds/chainsawdog
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi are given a mission - to protect Satine Kryze, the pacifist Duchess of Mandalore. Her life is in danger from the terrorist organisation, the Death Watch, who want to make a public spectacle of her death for her attempts to bring an end to Mandalore's traditional warlike ways. After Satine's palace is attacked  she is forced to flee for her life, while the Prime Minister and Senator of Mandalore beg the Republic for help to quell the uprising. With only Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan to protect her, Satine must go on the run from the terrorists and the bounty hunters hired to bring her back to Mandalore. Determined not to let them win, Satine will do all she can to stay alive.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“I told you the truth, Master Yoda,” Qui-Gon said quietly, once Shmi had left. “I would not lie about such a thing.”  
  
“Know this, I do,” Yoda said, resting his chin on the palm of his hand. “Speak with her, I had to. See for myself. Doubt you I do not.”  
  
Qui-Gon remained silent, his hands behind his back.  
  
Yoda sighed. “To Mandalore I must send you and your apprentice. A distress call we have received. Protection from war the Duchess of Mandalore requires.”  
  
Qui-Gon inclined his head. “I assume we will leave today?”  
  
“Assumed correctly you have. May the force be with you.”  
  
Qui-Gon bowed his head, and left the room. He had planned to visit the gardens of the Temple, to meditate, but instead headed for the library. He passed his Padawan on the way, sparring with Master Tholme’s Padawan, Quinlan Vos. When Obi-Wan saw Qui-Gon, he excused himself from the fight and ran after him.  
  
“Master,” he said breathlessly. “What’s the matter?” He tried to match his shorter stride to Qui-Gon’s.  
  
“Nothing to be concerned about,” said Qui-Gon. He glanced down at the boy, and wondered again if he would ever learn to find his centre. Obi-Wan was an eager fighter, and quick with his words, and Qui-Gon was sure that he would make a great Jedi Master one day. There were moments where Obi-Wan showed Qui-Gon he could balance himself emotionally. Sometimes, however, he was too impulsive for his own good.  
  
“You look… concerned,” Obi-Wan said. “I thought I could help.”  
  
Qui-Gon smiled at his apprentice. “There is nothing wrong,” he said. “I was just going to the library to do some research on Mandalore.”  
  
Obi-Wan’s eyebrows shot up, and he said, “Why Mandalore?”  
  
“We’re being sent there to protect their Duchess.”  
  
“Protect her from what?”  
  
“Whatever tries to kill her,” was Qui-Gon’s reply.  
  
“How long will we be gone?”  
  
“I don’t know,” said Qui-Gon. He stopped walking, and put his hand on Obi-Wan’s shoulder. “We will deal with things as they come, my Padawan.”  
  
Obi-Wan nodded, his braid swinging.  
  
“Come on, then,” Qui-Gon said. “We’ll brush up on our Manda _lore_ before we leave.”  
  
Obi-Wan groaned at the pun, but followed his Master to the Temple’s library. They were greeted by Jocasta Nu, who directed them to the section of the library that focused on Outer Rim planets.  
  
The Duchess, a young woman named Satine Kryze, governed the three inhabited planets in the Mandalore System; Mandalore, Kalevala and Concordia. Satine was in danger because of her pacifist ideology. Traditionally, Mandalorians were a warrior people. As their ruler, Satine sought to bring an end to their warlike ways.  
  
“It’s not a wonder she’s unpopular,” Obi-Wan commented. “Why haven’t the Jedi intervened before now?”  
  
“I suppose she didn’t want us to,” Qui-Gon replied. “Or, perhaps her life wasn’t in danger until now.”


	2. Chapter 2

It wasn’t long before they left Coruscant.  
  
Qui-Gon didn’t have time to let Shmi know where he was going, and he knew that Yoda would have disapproved of him contacting her. He’d have to hope that she’d catch wind of his mission somehow.  
  
Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon packed light. From the Temple’s docks, they took two Delta-7 Aether-class light interceptors. A yellow one for Obi-Wan, and a red one for Qui-Gon. The hyperspace rings that would take them to the Mandalore sector were waiting for them in orbit.  
  
Obi-Wan flew carefully. He made sure to do everything exactly as he had been taught. Despite the hours he’d practiced, he still had a pit in his stomach whenever he got into the cockpit. He followed Qui-Gon from the Temple, into the upper atmosphere of Coruscant and then into orbit.  
  
Before attaching to his hyperspace ring, Obi-Wan looked down on the planet where he had lived for most of his life. It shone like the night sky, a city-planet covered in manufactured lights, and he smiled.  
  
It would be over a standard year before he came back.


	3. Chapter 3

From orbit, Mandalore was a greenish blue. There were illuminated patches on the planet’s surface. Before they had left, Obi-Wan had read that the planet was dotted with white-sand deserts, and their cities were inside bio-domes.  
  
Obi-Wan followed Qui-Gon’s ship through the atmosphere, down to the surface of the planet. They headed across the desert towards a grey bio-dome, passing over a smoking, seemingly abandoned city. Their ships passed through whatever material the dome was made of. With Obi-Wan behind Qui-Gon, they flew through the skyways of Sundari, the capital city of Mandalore, towards the palace.  
  
When they landed at the docks by the Royal Palace, they were greeted by a contingent of Mandalorians. The Mandalorians were led by a human woman, with dark brown skin and shockingly blonde hair. The young woman wore a peacock headdress and a long blue gown. As Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon approached her, she bowed her head in greeting. They bowed back, as she said, “Thank you for coming, Master Jedi.”  
  
“It is our duty and pleasure, Duchess Satine,” Qui-Gon replied.  
  
As a Padawan, Obi-Wan was expected to follow Qui-Gon’s lead. He had bowed, and now he remained silent as Qui-Gon spoke with Satine. Qui-Gon walked by her side as they entered the palace, her guards flanking her. Obi-Wan followed, walking behind the group. Obi-Wan did his best to listen to their conversation. As they discussed the events of the civil war on Mandalore, he learned some interesting things.  
  
Apparently, the warrior people of Mandalore had taken offense to Satine trying to change their ways. Of course, Obi-Wan already knew this. What he hadn’t realised was that Mandalore had been at war for over a century. Satine hadn’t started the war – she was trying to end it. Nor had he realised that the people of Mandalore had been forced to move to bio-domes across the planet to survive. A result of devastating weapons and tactics, and deadly carelessness. The Duchess had already survived two attempts on her life before reaching out to the Republic for help. Qui-Gon commented that she was brave, and she looked at him with a smile.  
  
“I must do what is best for my people,” she responded.  
  
Satine herself led them to their quarters. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon would share a room, close to hers so that they would be able to sense any danger to her person.  
  
Satine informed them that she was working with Mandalore’s standing army, the Prime Minister, and the government of Mandalore to bring peace to her planet. She told them that there were people on her planet who wanted peace.  
  
Obi-Wan could sense the turmoil of Mandalorian the Force. So much fear and hatred - was jagged and blood red and hard to breathe. He wasn’t so sure he agreed with her.


	4. Chapter 4

Two weeks after Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon arrived, Satine’s opponents attacked the palace. The bombs went off early in the morning. Luckily, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan were meeting with Satine at that time. There were three points of attack, all in the foundations of the palace. It was only because of Qui-Gon’s instincts and Force enhanced speed that they and the Duchess escaped in time.  
  
Qui-Gon checked Satine for injuries as the palace collapsed. Obi-Wan watched as the building crumbled, his heart racing. He had never seen a building demolished so violently. These people – they didn’t care who got hurt in their attempts to kill Satine.  
  
“I told you, I’m all right,” Satine said, pushing Qui-Gon away. “What about my people?”  
  
“We didn’t have time to check,” Qui-Gon replied. “Obi-Wan, go check the palace. Be careful. The people who planned this attack likely want the Duchess dead. Satine and I will find somewhere safe to wait for you. I will let you know where it is over your comm.”  
  
Obi-Wan nodded and ran off into the rubble. Qui-Gon gently touched Satine’s shoulder and said, “Duchess, we must leave this area, for your safety. Do you know anywhere we can go?”  
  
She blinked at him, processing his question, then said, “I have to go back inside, I have to make sure –”  
  
“Satine,” Qui-Gon said gently. “My Padawan will either find survivors or he won’t. If you go back now, you risk your own life. If you die today, your people lose their leader.”  
  
Satine didn’t look happy about it, but she said, “Fine. There are people loyal to me in Sundari. I’ll contact them, and see if they can’t help.”  
  
“We go now,” said Qui-Gon. “We’re too exposed.”  
  
“Hopefully whoever attacked the palace thinks I’m dead,” Satine grumbled.  
  
“We can’t risk thinking like that,” Qui-Gon started walking, and Satine followed. “And I doubt that will be good for your people.”  
  
“I have to let them know that I’m alive,” she agreed. “Or everything I’ve worked for…”  
  
“Then we’ll get a message out, _once_ you’re safe,” Qui-Gon said. “You might want to try calling your allies sooner, rather than later.”  
  
Satine nodded, and pulled her comm from a pocket. “It was nice they gave us a chance to dress and eat before trying to kill us,” she commented, with a wry smile.  
  
The first few numbers she tried were dead. Her fourth attempt connected, and she spoke calmly to whoever had answered.  
  
Qui-Gon was impressed. Satine debriefed them on the situation, asked them if they could provide shelter, and then relayed the information to Qui-Gon.  
  
“Almec – the Prime Minister – tells me that he can help me find somewhere to hide,” she said. “He’s sending me co-ordinates.”  
  
They continued down the alleyway, Satine taking the lead. Qui-Gon kept his hand on his lightsaber at his belt. Just because no one had come after them immediately didn’t mean they wouldn’t be followed. He kept his senses sharp, tracking Obi-Wan through their Force bond. Qui-Gon would know if any harm came to his Padawan.  
  
They hurried through the streets, Satine leading. She kept to the back alleys, away from public areas where she might be recognised.  
  
“We’re being followed,” Qui-Gon cautioned. He had no idea where in Sundari they were, but he could sense the malicious intent of the people trailing them.  
  
“What should I do?” Satine’s Force presence trembled with fear, but on the outside, she seemed perfectly calm.  
  
“We keep walking,” he said, “Try to lose them – you know this place better than I do. We don’t want to take them to your friends.”  
  
“No,” Satine agreed. “We don’t.”


	5. Chapter 5

Some of the palace was still standing. Obi-Wan extended his senses, searching for life-forms. There were some injured sentients in the distance, but there were others with them. Already, he could see medical transports at the edge of the rubble.  
  
Searching carefully, Obi-Wan found seven people trapped beneath the rubble. With the help of the Force, he freed five of them. Two of them died before he could reach them.  
  
He flagged down the medics, and helped them take the injured to safety. Obi-Wan waited until the medical team had everyone in their care before slipping away. Part of him wanted to aid the medics. His duty, however, lay with the Duchess and his Master.  
  
Walking away, Obi-Wan tried to contact Qui-Gon. There was no answer so he stopped moving. Closing his eyes, he tried to concentrate. Faintly, he could sense his Master. Opening his eyes again, Obi-Wan  
  
set off at a walk, hesitant to draw attention to himself. He didn’t want to lead Satine’s enemies straight to her.  
  
Although he’d been Qui-Gon’s apprentice for nearly four years, he still worried that he wasn’t ready to be a Padawan. There had been a time in his life, before he’d convinced Qui-Gon to take him, where he’d feared he would never become a Jedi Knight. He’d had trouble controlling his impulsiveness. He had a habit of answering back, and speaking without thinking. Cheeky was one of the nicer things he’d been called.  
  
Quinlan Vos, the student of Jedi Master Tholme, had assured Obi-Wan time and time again that he’d be fine. “You’re a skilled fighter,” he’d said. “And you’re smart. Any Master would be lucky to have you as their Padawan.”  
  
That hadn’t taken the sting from being the last youngling in his clan to be chosen as an apprentice. Four years ago, but he remembered. Obi-Wan wasn’t the ideal Jedi, not by a long shot. Qui-Gon seemed so much better than he could ever hope to be. Obi-Wan had considered talking to his Master about this, but he wasn’t sure it was something worth his Qui-Gon’s time. Qui-Gon had years of training, and had been alive for longer. Of course Qui-Gon was going to be better than him.  
  
It had shocked Obi-Wan when Qui-Gon had introduced him to the Skywalker woman. Qui-Gon had mentioned her in passing, when he’d talked about his time on Tatooine, but Obi-Wan hadn’t realised what their relationship was. He wasn’t even sure he understood now, even after meeting her.  
  
There had been a connection between the two of them, and the soldier who’d accompanied Shmi to the diner. Obi-Wan had wanted to ask questions that he knew were rude to ask. Of course, Obi-Wan would never admit it, but he’d been jealous. Qui-Gon, the Jedi, those things were his. Who were these women, to have any right to those things?  
  
Obi-Wan shook his head. In focusing on his thoughts, he’d lost track of Qui-Gon. He took a deep breath in and centred himself, the way he’d learned as an initiate. Despite his almost boundless energy, Obi-Wan enjoyed meditation. He was good at it. If Obi-Wan wanted to learn something, he mastered it.  
  
Once he’d picked up Qui-Gon’s trail again, he set off at a run.


	6. Chapter 6

“Stay where you are!”  
  
Six warriors in full armour, all carrying blasters, emerged from the shadows of the alleyway. Satine turned to face them, crossing her arms to stop her hands from trembling. Her weapon of choice was her words, but she also had a compact blaster up her sleeve and a Jedi by her side.  
  
“Duchess,” said the leader.  
  
Satine inclined her head in acknowledgement, but said nothing. Qui-Gon watched, waiting to see what would happen. It would be dangerous for Satine if he attacked first.  
  
“You’re coming with us,” the leader said, pointing her blaster at Satine.  
  
“I don’t think so,” said Satine. “But I will hear you out. What do you want?”  
  
“I could just kill you,” the warrior said.  
  
“If you wanted me dead, you would have attacked without announcing your presence,” Satine countered. “You want me alive for a reason. To make a public spectacle of my death?”  
  
Their leader remained silent.  
  
“I thought so,” said Satine. “Then my people know that I live. Good.”  
  
“We should just kill her,” said another of the warriors. “No reason to drag this out.”  
  
“I thought we needed to make an example of her,” a third said.  
  
“We can tell people she died in the explosion,” the fourth said.  
  
“That won’t work,” the leader said. “People have seen her alive, and the recordings from the security cams…”  
  
“Are we just gonna stand here and wait for her bodyguard to kill us?” the second warrior asked.  
  
“Apparently,” said a new voice. The alleyway was lit with a blue glow. The turned to face Obi-Wan, who stood a head shorter than all of them. His expression was calm, and he stood ready, holding his saber in front of him with both hands.  
  
“Mind yourself, Obi-Wan,” Qui-Gon spoke softly. “We don’t need to kill these people.”  
  
“Of course, Master,” Obi-Wan replied.  
  
“Jedi,” the leader remarked. “Surprising.”  
  
“Take your people and leave,” said Satine. Her voice was sharp. “There’s no need for violence.”  
  
Qui-Gon pushed Satine behind him, bringing his saber up to deflect a blaster bolt. Obi-Wan sliced the arm off one of the warriors, as he kicked another to the ground. Qui-Gon moved forward, blocking bolt after bolt, hitting one of the warriors with a rebound.  
  
One more went down, and the remaining three fled. Obi-Wan put his ‘saber away and knelt beside the warrior he’d injured. He looked up at Qui-Gon, and said, “I didn’t kill them.”  
  
“No,” said Qui-Gon. “But you have injured them.”  
  
“I could try to help them?”  
  
“We don’t have time, I’m afraid,” said Qui-Gon. “We have to leave – now. I think we should get off Mandalore altogether.”  
  
“Then we head for the spaceport,” Satine said, standing up and brushing herself off. “Follow me.”


	7. Chapter 7

The spaceport was a colossal shipyard near the outskirts of the city. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon had landed directly at the palace, and their ships had been destroyed in the explosion. Satine, being the Duchess, had her own spaceships. It was now a matter of getting into the shipyard without alerting the enemy. Satine and the two Jedi stood in the shadows, watching the spaceport from across the street.  
  
There were soldiers everywhere. Satine looked at Qui-Gon, saying, “Those people are not our allies.”  
  
“What do we do now?” Obi-Wan asked, looking expectantly at Qui-Gon.  
  
“We watch,” said Qui-Gon. “And wait.”  
  
They retreated into the shadows, keeping in sight of the port. As they watched it became apparent that the spaceport was on lockdown. No civilians were going in or out – only soldiers. Soldiers outfitted in Mandalorian armour. There was no sure way to know whose side the soldiers were on.  
  
“I didn’t sanction a military lockdown,” she said quietly. She spoke directly to Qui-Gon, his Padawan watching their exchange closely. “We must assume they’re against us, and move accordingly.”  
  
Qui-Gon nodded. “Is there a back way into the shipyard?”  
  
Satine thought for a moment, then nodded briskly.  
  
“Follow me,” she said, and walked off. Qui-Gon strode after her, and Obi-Wan hurried to keep up.  
  
They followed her around the walls of the port, avoiding the main entrance. They passed the loading docks, but Satine didn’t stop walking. There were less soldiers around the back. Satine led them to a blue door in the brick wall and rattled the knob. It didn’t open. She turned to Qui-Gon, raising an eyebrow.  
  
Qui-Gon activated his lightsaber, then cut around the doorknob. The door swung open and Qui-Gon went inside to scout. A moment passed, then Qui-Gon reappeared and beckoned for Satine and Obi-Wan to follow. Satine ducked inside. Obi-Wan glanced back at the street behind them, to make sure no one had seen them, and then followed. He pulled the door shut behind him as best he could.  
  
The room were in was dark. A thin sliver of light came from the broken door, but it wasn’t enough to see by. There was a rectangle of light on the other side of the room, which Obi-Wan assumed was another door.  
  
Qui-Gon’s lightsaber lit the room with a gentle green glow. Obi-Wan made his way towards it. He muffled a cry of pain as he banged his shin against a metal barrel. The barrel fell over with a clatter, and Obi-Wan winced. Qui-Gon made a shushing noise. “Be careful.”  
  
“Sorry, Master,” Obi-Wan said quietly.  
  
From somewhere Qui-Gon, Satine giggled. “This is one of the storage rooms,” she said. “Fuel canisters. Watch your step.”  
  
“Very funny,” Obi-Wan muttered, and Satine smiled at him.  
  
Qui-Gon looked around the room, and said, “So we go through that door?”  
  
“Yes,” said Satine. “Then we’ll be in the spaceport, and can… borrow a ship.” She looked at Qui-Gon and frowned. “It’s not stealing if they belong to me.”  
  
Qui-Gon smiled at her, and said, “Well, if they hadn’t destroyed our ships, we wouldn’t have to borrow one of these, would we?”  
  
Satine returned his smile. Heading for the door, she opened it a crack. Peeking through the gap, she looked around. She closed the door quietly, and said, “It looks clear.”  
  
“Let’s go,” said Qui-Gon. The door opened into a white-painted corridor, lit with bright fluorescent bulbs. He looked up and down the corridor. It was empty.  
  
“Uh,” said Satine, as Qui-Gon started off down the corridor. “It’s this way,” she pointed down the right way, and Qui-Gon turned around without a word. Obi-Wan smirked, and hurried after his Master, sharing an amused look with the Duchess.  
  
They walked calmly through the corridors, not wanting to draw attention to themselves Satine led the way, Qui-Gon following her closely, Obi-Wan bringing up the rear. They passed through a series of doors and hallways, and Obi-Wan lost all sense of direction. They didn’t encounter anyone in the hallways, and before Obi-Wan knew it, they were inside the shipyard. The yard was full of hundreds spaceships from various star systems and planets. There were soldiers patrolling the room, so Qui-Gon, Satine and Obi-Wan ducked behind some crates. Peering over the crates, they watched the movements of the soldiers.  
  
“Okay,” Satine said quietly. “That ship, over there, the Kom’rk fighter. Think we can get to it?”  
  
Qui-Gon looked where she was pointing, and saw the ship. It was pointy, an A-shape with a dip in the top of the A for the pilot’s seat. The ship had twin canons on either side, and was painted white-and-blue. Qui-Gon could see six soldiers who would have to be distracted so they could get to the fighter.  
  
“I think we can try,” he said. Lifting his right hand, he closed his eyes, concentrating. Far from them, across the room, a large freighter started to tremble.  
  
“What’s he doing?” Satine whispered to Obi-Wan.  
  
“Watch,” was Obi-Wan’s response, and so Satine turned her attention back to Qui-Gon.  
  
The freighter made a groaning noise, then collapsed with a frightening crack, its stands splitting in two and crashing to the ground. The guards shouted, running over to the freighter, and Qui-Gon said, “Now.”  
  
Obi-Wan and Satine jumped to their feet, following Qui-Gon across the floor of the shipyard to the Kom’rk fighter. Qui-Gon used the Force to pull open the ramp of the ship, and waved Satine aboard before following her. Obi-Wan boarded last, pulling the ramp closed the same way his Master had opened it. Satine turned on the engines as Obi-Wan joined them in the cockpit.  
  
“They’ve spotted us,” Obi-Wan pointed to the three soldiers aiming their blasters at the fighter.  
  
“Shields up,” Satine commanded, and Qui-Gon obeyed. Obi-Wan sat in the spare seat, buckling himself in.  
  
“Where are we going?” he asked.  
  
The engines roared, and the fighter lifted off the ground as the soldiers fired. The shield deflected the blaster bolts. Satine refused to fire back, concentrating on flying.  
  
“Kalevala,” she said. “We’ll go to Kalevala. I have family there –”  
  
“My lady,” Qui-Gon interrupted. “If you _do_ have family on that planet, it’s likely they’ll be targeted, especially if you go to them. Isn’t there somewhere else?”  
  
The ship rose higher and they left the spaceport, rising above the city of Sundari. From above, they could see the destruction the terrorists had left in their wake. The palace was mostly rubble, but it had been hard to see the extent of the damage from the ground. Satine took a gasping breath in, but she didn’t speak. Her eyes glistened with tears as she set her jaw, and looked to the sky.  
  
“We’ll come back,” said Qui-Gon. “The Republic will send soldiers, Satine. They will be able to take back your planet. For now, you have to stay alive.”  
  
“I know,” she said quietly. “I know.”


	8. Chapter 8

They weren’t stopped from leaving the bio-dome that surrounded Sunandi. Once they were outside the dome, Satine said, “I don’t know where we can go. We can’t live in the desert – it’s not habitable. And the only other place I can think of is Kalevala.”  
  
“We’ll get into orbit, and I’ll send a message to Coruscant,” said Qui-Gon. “Then we’ll decide.”  
  
Satine nodded, and aimed the fighter towards the atmosphere. They hadn’t been pursued, but that didn’t mean they wouldn’t be followed.  
  
The ship handled smoothly. Before long, they were in orbit around Mandalore. Turning to Qui-Gon, Satine said,  
  
“I don’t want to leave the Mandalore sector. We need to find a place to wait while the Republic sends forces to secure my planet. You can send your message to Coruscant now, Master Jedi.”  
  
Qui-Gon nodded. Moving to the holocomm, he tapped keyboard. An image of Jedi Master Yoda appeared.  
  
“Hm?” he said, looking up at Qui-Gon. “Master Qui-Gon. News have you?”  
  
Qui-Gon nodded. “Master Yoda,” he said, “We’ve had to leave Mandalore with the Duchess. She’s not safe – we’re going into hiding. We need the Republic to send soldiers to take Mandalore back.”  
  
“Inform the Chancellor, I will,” said Yoda. “Worse than we suspected this situation is. Into hiding you will go, yes, your location a secret will be.”  
  
“Yes, Master Yoda,” Qui-Gon replied, and shut off the comm.  
  
“Well,” said Obi-Wan. “What now?”  
  
“Kalevala,” said Satine. At a look from Qui-Gon, she sighed. “Nowhere near my family, don’t worry. Although if one of you could check on them I’d like that. No, if we go to Kalevala we can swap ships for something that _wasn’t_ taken from the shipyard on Mandalore after a failed assassination attempt. You know, to stop people tracking us.”  
  
Qui-Gon’s lips quirked in a smile, and he said, “That’s a good plan, Duchess.”


	9. Chapter 9

Kalevala wasn’t far from Mandalore. It was a smaller planet, greener from orbit than Mandalore. Satine was smiling fondly as they approached.  
  
“How long have you been away?” Qui-Gon asked quietly.  
  
Satine sighed. “Too long,” she said. “Far too long. But my duty is to the people of Mandalore, and I am more than willing to make any sacrifice for them.”  
  
“An admirable quality in a leader,” Qui-Gon commented.  
  
“I do my best,” she replied.  
  
She took them down to the surface of the planet, and landed in a field in the middle of nowhere. Rummaging through the ship’s storage, Satine found spare clothing and food, which she handed to the Jedi. “Wait a moment,” she said. “I’m going to change out of this dress.”  
  
They waited for her, looking for any other supplies that they might be able to use. Obi-Wan found some water, and dried rations that Satine had missed. When Satine returned, she was dressed in sensible pants, boots, and a long-sleeved shirt. “That’s better,” she said. “Let’s go.”  
  
Obi-Wan looked at Qui-Gon, but his Master didn’t return the glance. Obi-Wan had thought that Qui-Gon would be in charge of the mission. Apparently not.  
  
Satine headed for the ramp. Qui-Gon followed, and Obi-Wan hurried after him.  
  
Satine led them through the field, walking with the confidence of someone who knew where she was going. The Jedi, as her bodyguards, followed.  
  
“Are we gonna borrow another ship?” Obi-Wan asked.  
  
“Yes,” said Satine. “There’s a junkyard nearby, and we should be able to find a ship there,” with a look at Obi-Wan she added, “One that we can _buy_.”  
  
“A junkyard,” said Obi-Wan. “Fantastic.”  
  
“Do you have a better idea?” Satine asked, raising an eyebrow. “We’re going to the junkyard, and we’ll get a ship, and then we’ll get off Kalevala.”  
  
“Of course, Duchess,” said Qui-Gon. “You seem to know what you’re doing.”


	10. Chapter 10

About half a day’s walk from their stolen ship, they crested a slight hill. Ahead, the junkyard sprawled across the field. Obi-Wan could see the shapes of ships in the yard, amongst piles of scrap metal and all sorts of other debris. He wrinkled his nose in distaste.  
  
“What should we expect from this place?” Qui-Gon asked Satine, as they neared the yard. “Do you know the owner?”  
  
“I doubt it,” she said. “My family doesn’t consort with these sorts of people. It’s run by humans, but they’re pirates and thieves so I’ve never really spoken with them.”  
  
“And if some Mandalorians or bounty hunters come looking for you, with a description or a picture, they’ll sell you out for a handful of credits?” Obi-Wan helpfully supplied.  
  
“Perhaps,” Satine said, her voice cold.  
  
“Mind yourself, Obi-Wan,” Qui-Gon said sternly.  
  
“Yes, Master,” Obi-Wan responded. “I apologise, Duchess. That was rude.”  
  
“It was,” Satine glanced at him. “But not wrong. They may sell me out. Hopefully we will be long gone by the time anyone catches us up.”


	11. Chapter 11

Out the front of the junkyard, there was a woman in grease-covered overalls, fast asleep in a rocking chair. She had a bald head, and her brown face was lined with wrinkles. Satine stopped in front of her, unsure of what to do. She looked at Qui-Gon, who Qui-Gon moved forward to speak with the woman.  
  
“Excuse me,” he said.  
  
The woman started awake, nearly falling out of her chair. She narrowed her brown eyes at him. “What?”  
  
“We need a ship,” he said calmly.  
  
“You got credits?”  
  
Qui-Gon nodded.  
  
“Then you got a ship. Come on.”  
  
She got up, and beckoned for them to follow her. They followed, the three of them grouping together instinctively. The woman walked them along the narrow paths amongst the piles of debris, Qui-Gon chatting with her amicably. The woman seemed charmed by him. Obi-Wan wasn’t sure how he felt about that. Satine was following Qui-Gon and the junkyard woman, listening to their conversation closely. Obi-Wan crossed his arms and tried to keep up with them.  
  
There was a space in the junkyard cleared for ships. There were only three to choose from. There was a green and red Firespray 31, damaged beyond repair, Another was a bright yellow Eta-2 Actis-class light interceptor which would only seat one person. The last was a Corellian VCX-series auxiliary star fighter – a boxy grey ship that seemed to be the only working ship in the junkyard.  
  
“How much for that one?” Satine asked, pointing at the VCX. “It looks a little bent out of shape, but it still has engines, unlike that ship.” She gestured to the Firespray.  
  
The woman named her price, and Obi-Wan wondered if they had that many credits. He hugged his arms around himself as he listened to Qui-Gon barter with the woman, throwing numbers out as they tried to reach an agreement. He knew he had to listen closely, because one day he’d be a Jedi Knight, and have to deal with these things alone. Not for a long time, of course, as he’d only recently become a Padawan, but in the future. When he passed his trials.  
  
“So it’s agreed,” said Qui-Gon. “Three thousand, two hundred credits. For the working ship and any spare parts we might need.”  
  
The woman spat in her hand, and held it out for Qui-Gon to shake. He hesitated, then copied the gesture, shaking her hand.  
  
“Thank you,” said Satine. “I won’t forget this kindness.”


	12. Chapter 12

It didn’t take long for them to prepare the ship. Satine and Qui-Gon took the controls, and before they took off, Satine asked if they could stop by her family’s home.  
  
“Only briefly,” she said. “I’ll park the ship far from the house, they won’t see it, and one of you can go check on my family. Make sure they’re okay.”  
  
“Satine,” Qui-Gon said gently, “I don’t think that’s a good idea. Especially not if we’re being followed.”  
  
“Please,” Satine’s voice was quiet, that of a girl rather than a Duchess. “Just once. I don’t think we’re being followed. If we were, wouldn’t they have caught up by now? And… I need to know if they’re safe.”  
  
Qui-Gon sighed. “Five minutes,” he said. “I’ll give Obi-Wan five minutes to look in on them, and then he’ll report back to us.”  
  
Satine closed her eyes, and took a deep breath in. “Ten,” she said. “Ten, and you will try to see if we are being followed.”  
  
“Fine,” said Qui-Gon. “Take us there, then.”


	13. Chapter 13

Satine’s house on Kalevala was a mixture of glass and stone; a beautiful, multi-levelled mansion built on the side of a lake. The lands surrounding it were green and hilly, covered with towering trees, green bushes and bright flowers. The lake was dark blue, small waves stirring the surface in the wind. When Obi-Wan stepped off the ship, he was hit with the calming scent of growing things, and grass after a rain. It was a nice change from the city-scents of Coruscant and Sundari. He turned to wave at Qui-Gon, then set off across the fields surrounding the Kryze Estate.  
  
On board the ship, Qui-Gon sat down to meditate. He crossed his legs and put his hands on his knees. Straightening his back, he closed his eyes.  
  
“What are you doing?” Satine asked.  
  
He opened his eyes, and looked at her. She was sitting on a bench next to him, watching.  
  
“Meditating,” he said.  
  
“I thought you would scan for life forms, or something,” she said.  
  
“I am,” said Qui-Gon. “I was going to look through the Force.”  
  
“Oh,” said Satine. She frowned. “How would you do that?”  
  
“If I had some quiet,” Qui-Gon said, with a smile, “I could show you.”  
  
Satine gave him a moment of quiet, and then said, “It looks like you’re sitting, doing nothing.”  
  
“I suppose it’s hard to see,” Qui-Gon admitted. “Not something I can exactly _show_ you. Do you trust me, Duchess?”  
  
He watched her face as she thought about her answer.  
  
“I think so,” she said.  
  
“Then let me do this, and I will be able to tell you if we’re being followed. They’ll have to be nearby for me to sense them. If I do sense anyone, we’ll have to leave. Immediately.”  
  
“What about your Padawan?”  
  
“Obi-Wan?”  
  
Satine nodded.  
  
“He’ll find us,” Qui-Gon said.  
  
The conviction in his voice surprised her. He truly believed his Padawan, a boy a few years younger than herself, capable of defending himself against bounty hunters and finding his way back to his Master. There was a bond of faith and trust between them, one that Satine had seen as soon as she’d met them, but she hadn’t realised how close they were. She watched the Jedi as he closed his eyes once more, and took a deep breath in.  
  
Satine felt young.  
  
When she’d first taken on the title of Duchess, she had been fifteen years old. Nearly a year had passed since then, and she’d been working tirelessly to bring peace to her planet. She’d had support from her government, and the Republic, and she had spoken with her people person-to-person more than once to gauge their feelings on the matter. The majority had been in support of her stance. Satine had been willing to do anything to bring peace to Mandalore, short of murder. She had always tried to practice what she preached, and had taken the mantle of pacifist. She would not fight with weapons, like the traditions of her people dictated. She would fight with words.  
  
Now, she was sixteen, a young ruler of several worlds and moons on the run, with two Jedi protecting her. She was being hunted by the people whose values clashed with hers.  
  
Satine was furious. These warriors didn’t care what the people of Mandalore wanted, they only cared that they would be able to continue their traditions of bloodshed and violence. She would not allow them to stop her, but she had to stay alive in order to help her people.  
  
Satine was afraid.  
  
She wasn’t ready to die. It was unlikely anyone was ever ready to die, but Satine knew she definitely wasn’t. She had some faith that her Jedi bodyguards would protect her, but they were smaller than the legends had made them seem. She wasn’t sure if they would be able to protect her forever.  
  
Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan would have to constantly be on their guard, hyper-aware of any dangers. Whoever hunted them only needed one moment of luck, and she’d be dead, and the Jedi would have failed their mission – and Mandalore would fall into the hands of the terrorists.  
  
Satine couldn’t have that. She had to live. Not just for herself, or her family, but for her people.  
  
So she would put her trust in the hands of the Jedi, and hope the Republic would send aid soon.


	14. Chapter 14

Obi-Wan wasn’t sure how to approach the house, so he went for the most direct route and knocked on the door. It was answered by a red-headed girl, who was ten years younger than Satine. She glared up at him, saying, “Who are you? What do you want?”  
  
“I’m here on behalf of the Duchess,” he said. “Are your parents home? Is Satine your sister?”  
  
“Who’s asking?”  
  
“My name is Obi-Wan Kenobi,” he said. “I’m a Jedi.”  
  
“You’re a boy,” the girl said. “You’re not even a grown-up, how can you be a Jedi?”  
  
Obi-Wan smiled, but the girl was trying his patience. “Could you tell your parents that I’m here to talk to them? On behalf of Satine?”  
  
The girl rolled her eyes. “Ugh, _Satine_ ,” she said. “Fine. I’ll tell Mom.”  
  
She shut the door in his face, and Obi-Wan spent a few minutes admiring the grains of wood before Satine’s mother came to the door.  
  
“Hello?” she said. She was taller than Obi-Wan by a metre or so, and had tightly curled black hair, different to both of her daughters. Her skin was as dark as Satine’s. Her mother had a square jaw where Satine’s was sharp. “Yes?”  
  
“Hi,” said Obi-Wan, with a smile. She looked down at him, and smiled back. He’d been told his smile was charming and infectious, and he wasn’t ashamed to take advantage of that. “I’m Obi-Wan. I’m here on behalf of Satine. She wanted me to visit, to make sure everything was okay here.”  
  
The woman frowned. “Is everything all right?” she asked.  
  
Obi-Wan made his smile warmer, and said, “Of course. Everything’s fine.”  
  
“Bo-Katan said you were a Jedi.”  
  
Obi-Wan nodded his head, and said, “Yes. I’m working with the Mandalorian government on behalf of the Republic.”  
  
“Satine sent you?”  
  
Obi-Wan tried to keep his smile sincere. “Yes, she did,” he said. “She wanted me to let you know that she’s working with the Republic and Jedi to bring peace to your system.”  
  
The woman sighed. “That sounds like her,” she said. “Well, you tell her that everything’s okay at home. Bo-Katan and Nyree send their love.”  
  
“Have a good day, Madame,” Obi-Wan replied, grinning.  
  
Satine’s mother smiled, and closed the door on him. He relaxed his shoulders, and let his face drop into a neutral expression. Taking a deep breath in, he said, “Well, that was awful.” Then he headed back to the ship.


	15. Chapter 15

Qui-Gon frowned, opening his eyes, and looked at Satine. “We _are_ being followed. Someone’s near the ship we abandoned.”  
  
“You could sense that far?” Satine asked. “That’s… impressive. So, what do you suggest?”  
  
“It’s likely they’ll have a tracker with them,” he said. “They’ll reach the junkyard in no time. I’ll give Obi-Wan a few more minutes, but we can’t risk waiting too long.”  
  
Satine nodded, and took her place in the pilot’s seat. She started the engines as Qui-Gon took his place in the co-pilot’s chair. The back of the ship was open, the ramp extended, and they waited for Obi-Wan to return.  
  
It wasn’t long before he arrived, the ramp door closing behind him with a mechanical whirr, and he stood behind Qui-Gon as they took off.  
  
“Your family was fine,” he said to Satine.  
  
“Thank you,” she said.  
  
“Where to now?” Qui-Gon asked. The ship left the ground, rising through the air with surprising grace.  
  
“Somewhere reasonably hospitable, I hope,” said Satine. She glanced at Qui-Gon. “As long as it’s in the Mandalore sector.”  
  
“Well, they’ll be looking for you in this system,” Qui-Gon said. They entered orbit, Satine keeping the ship steady. “Obi-Wan, pull up the maps.”  
  
Obi-Wan moved to obey, activating a holographic map on one of the screens. Satine and Qui-Gon joined him. She pointed at a neighbouring system, and said, “That’s Concord Dawn, controlled by my… opposition.”  
  
“Then we don’t go there,” Qui-Gon said, with a small smile. “The second closest system,” he pointed at the map, a system next to Mandalore, on the opposite side to Concord Dawn. “Where’s that?”  
  
“That’s the Draboon system,” Satine wrinkled her nose in disgust. “Almost no one lives there, just… I don’t know how to describe the sorts who live in that system. Lowlifes, I suppose. The Draboon sun is weak, and the only planet there that can sustain life is… well, Draboon.”  
  
“Almost no one?” Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow, looking to Qui-Gon. “That sounds promising.”  
  
“The planet does have a breathable atmosphere,” Satine continued. “Safe for humans, but with some nasty wildlife, from what I can remember.”  
  
“No one would think to look for a Duchess there, would they?” Obi-Wan was still watching Qui-Gon’s face, trying to gauge his reaction.  
  
“I doubt it,” he said. “Satine?”  
  
She smiled. “No,” she said. “Draboon is one of those places civilisation avoids. Nothing ties me to it, in any way.”  
  
“Then that’s where we’ll go,” said Qui-Gon.  
  
“But…” Satine looked at him, frowning. She had heard what he’d said, but wasn’t sure if he meant it. “It’s not safe there. Where will we live? What will we eat?”  
  
“We’ll make do,” said Qui-Gon, trying not to smile. “The planet’s habitable. Out of the way. And the last place anyone would look for you while still being in the Mandalore sector. What more could you want?”  
  
Satine looked away. Under her breath, she muttered, “Running water.”  
  
Qui-Gon laughed. “You can have that when we return to Mandalore,” he said. “Don’t worry about what you can’t change, Duchess. And keep in mind, I’ve lived this way before.” He put his hand gently on her shoulder, and she looked up into his face, now serious. “You’re not alone. We will protect you, Satine, and make sure you live to see the peace you hope for.”  
  
Satine closed her eyes, a tear rolling down her cheek. She hung her head, and said quietly, “Thank you, Master Jedi.”  
  
“Qui-Gon,” he replied. “We don’t have to stand on formalities here.”  
  
That brought a small smile to her face, as she held back tears. “Then you two can call me Satine, and do away with ‘Duchess,’ for now.”  
  
She moved back to the controls, and punched in the co-ordinates for the Draboon system. With a glance at Qui-Gon, she said, “Here goes nothing.”  
  
Qui-Gon took his seat once more, and Obi-Wan sat down behind them.  
  
Outside the window, they could see other spaceships moving through space, moving at different speeds. Most of them were headed to or from Mandalore. The Outer Rim territories had experienced a rapid growth in population around the time Dooku was a Padawan, but they were still considered backwater planets. Other than the luxurious planet of Bal’demnic, of course, which people from the Core paid exorbitant fees to visit.  
  
Mandalore, despite being in the Outer Rim, had always thrived in one way or another. With Satine as Duchess, they had strengthened ties with other planets such as Naboo and Coruscant, and had become a strong voice in the Senate. This, all in the beginning of her reign. Qui-Gon wondered what she would be able to do, if given the chance. If Mandalore became a peaceful sector, that would open trade opportunities and bring tourists in from around the Galaxy. If the war ended on the planet of Mandalore, the people would have a chance to rebuild, and reclaim their planet from the desolation. They could leave the bio-domes, and begin again.  
  
Qui-Gon didn’t have any talent in seeing the future. It was clear that Satine would affect her worlds – and had already done so – in such a way that it would be felt in ripples throughout the known Galaxy.  
  
Qui-Gon’s thoughts drifted back to Shmi, as they often did, and he wondered what she would think of the situation. He had no doubt that Shmi would like Satine. Mandalore, in its official stance, was anti-slavery, and one of the planets that had claimed to support Shmi and Ben Organa’s proposition in the Senate.  
  
Of course, Shmi would admire Satine’s spirit and dedication to her people. Qui-Gon found her impressive. Satine wasn’t much older than Obi-Wan, but she exhibited all the markings of a good leader. Although, Obi-Wan himself had done well, so far. He was tenacious, and he harboured a fierce loyalty that Qui-Gon wasn’t sure would work well with the Jedi in the future. For now, he was content to let Obi-Wan learn from his own mistakes, and guide him gently along the right path.  
  
Qui-Gon hadn’t voiced his doubts about the Order to his Padawan. He’d spoken to Dooku in passing, but it always seemed as if there was something else that needed to be done, some planet that needed Jedi help, and he had been unable to sit down and talk to his old Master. It was frustrating, but he told himself it was a coincidence, that he would get the chance to talk to Dooku eventually.  
  
Qui-Gon had questions about the Order, questions that he could not ask anyone else. Not even his friends outside the Order. For all their skills and knowledge, Shmi and Calla knew little of life as a Jedi. They didn’t have a Council dictating their every move, judging their actions and words. They couldn’t understand the confusing dichotomy of peacekeepers who were trained as warriors. He had spoken to Shmi in the past, about his worries and his fears, he knew she couldn’t help him.  
  
In this, there was every chance that he was alone.


	16. Chapter 16

Draboon was a shockingly green planet, with giant broad-leafed trees that towered over vines, bushes, and leaf-littered paths. It was hard to find a place to land, but eventually Satine found a clearing. When she lowered the ramp, Obi-Wan reeled back.  
  
“It’s hot,” he said, looking at Qui-Gon. “And the air feels sticky.”  
  
“Is the whole planet like this? A tropical planet?” Qui-Gon directed the question to Satine, who nodded.  
  
“We couldn’t have chosen a better place…?” Obi-Wan mumbled, as he followed the others off the ship.  
  
“What now, Master Jedi?” Satine asked Qui-Gon, putting her hands on her hips.  
  
“We can set up camp here, use the ship as shelter,” he replied. “Find out where we can find food, look for water, that sort of thing.”  
  
“How will we know what’s edible?” Satine asked, following Qui-Gon into the forest. Obi-Wan rolled his eyes and hurried after them, his hands tucked in the sleeves of his robes. “Because I haven’t had to forage for food, not once in my life, and I don’t know how much experience the two of you have had finding edible food on this planet.”  
  
“None on this planet,” Qui-Gon answered calmly. “But I feel confident that I will learn quickly if I make any mistakes.”  
  
Satine stopped in her tracks, and Obi-Wan nearly crashed into her. “That’s hardly confidence inspiring!” she cried. “What if you poison yourself?”  
  
“Then I won’t eat whatever poisoned me again, will I?” Qui-Gon grinned. With that, he headed off, following a narrow track through the dense foliage. Satine stared after him, and Obi-Wan passed her with a smirk.


	17. Chapter 17

The three of them walked through the forest for hours, and Obi-Wan’s feet were aching by the time they returned to the ship. Qui-Gon had turned his cloak into a sack, and filled it with native fruits, berries, nuts and fungi. There was a stream about an hour’s walk from the clearing. Obi-Wan was hesitant to drink from it, but Qui-Gon had told him they would be able to purify the water. Apparently, Qui-Gon had found a few things in the junkyard he hadn’t paid for. One of those things was a water purifier.  
  
When Obi-Wan had asked, “Isn’t that stealing?” Qui-Gon had replied that he’d paid more than was fair for the ship anyway.  
  
They hadn’t had anything on them carry water with. Qui-Gon told them if they needed water they would have to make trips down to the river until he thought of a better system. Satine wasn’t impressed, which meant Obi-Wan stubbornly refused to acknowledge any of the downsides of Qui-Gon’s plan.  
  
When they returned to the clearing, a mob of monkey-like creatures scattered, screeching and hooting. The monkey-like creatures had tried to get inside their ship, scratching the already scratched paint and throwing rocks at the clear windows on the cockpit.  
  
“What were those?” Obi-Wan asked, as they waited for the ship’s ramp.  
  
“Beek-monkeys, if I remember correctly,” Satine answered, watching the last of the monkeys retreating. “Apparently they’re highly intelligent, and we don’t want them near the ship.” Looking at Qui-Gon, she added, “If they get _inside_ the ship, then that’s the last we’ll see of our supplies.”  
  
Qui-Gon nodded. “Well, we better make sure that doesn’t happen,” he replied, hauling his cloak into the ship.  
  
There wasn’t space enough for the three of them to move around inside the ship. Obi-Wan sat down outside while Satine helped Qui-Gon sort through the food. He could hear the two of them talking inside the ship, as he picked at the grass on the ground and put it in a little pile beside him. Draping his arm across his knees, Obi-Wan rested his chin on his forearm, and sighed. None of them knew how long it would take the Republic forces to secure Mandalore, and so he had no idea how long he’d have to be stuck on a backwater planet with his Master and a girl he barely knew.  
  
In his heart, he desperately wanted to return to the Temple. To spend time with his friends; the other Padawans and Younglings he’d known his whole life. He missed sparring with Quinlan Vos, who was always showing off and making him laugh despite Master Tholme telling him to take training more seriously. Obi-Wan smiled as he remembered Quinlan’s over-the-top acrobatics that had ended in the destruction of a bust of some old Jedi in the Temple’s library. Madame Jocasta Nu hadn’t been pleased with that, and Quinlan had been made to reconstruct the statue with his bare hands and glue.  
  
“Obi-Wan,” Qui-Gon’s voice startled him out of his reverie and he looked up to see his Master standing in the doorway of the ship. He tossed what looked like an apple to Obi-Wan, who caught it. “Are you going to eat with us, or sit out here?”  
  
“What?”  
  
“We’re having lunch, in the ship,” said Qui-Gon. “Considering we haven’t really eaten since leaving Mandalore, I thought it would be a good idea. Then we’ll set up camp properly. Satine’s a vegetarian, so it won’t be too hard to find things to eat.”  
  
Qui-Gon was a vegetarian. Obi-Wan was still considering it. He stood up, nodding, and said, “Yeah, I’ll join you.”  
  
“What were you doing out there anyway?” Qui-Gon asked, as Obi-Wan followed him up the ramp.  
  
“Thinking,” said Obi-Wan. He sighed. “About the Temple. I miss it.”  
  
Qui-Gon smiled. “That’s natural,” he said. “It’s home, to you, isn’t it?”  
  
Obi-Wan nodded. He wondered what Qui-Gon had meant by ‘to you.’  
  
Satine was sitting on the floor of the ship, eating a pink-and-white fruit. Juice was trickling down her chin, but she didn’t seem to mind. She smiled at him as he and Qui-Gon sat down.  
  
“Nice of you to join us,” she said.  
  
Obi-Wan wasn’t sure if she was being sarcastic, so he smiled at her anyway. Satine sat straight-backed and cross-legged, looking exactly how a Duchess would look, except for the juice on her chin and her clothes. Obi-Wan sat, his cloak draped around him, hunching his back and resting his elbows on his knees. He bit into the thing that looked like an apple, and got a mouthful of soft and sour tasting fruit. He wrinkled his nose but made himself chew it and swallow, but couldn’t bring himself to eat the rest of it. He wasn’t sure what to do with it, and he wanted to ask Qui-Gon for something else to eat, but he didn’t want to seem fussy in front of Satine.  
  
There was more food between them, on the floor, and so he took one of the fruits that Satine had been eating and bit into that. It was sweet, and reminded him of summer rains in the greener parts of Coruscant.  
  
Qui-Gon, meanwhile, had eaten two of the sour fruits, and was starting on a third. Obi-Wan looked at him, and said, “How can you eat those?”  
  
Qui-Gon raised an eyebrow at him. “They’re not that bad,” he said.  
  
“They’re so sour!”  
  
“Doesn’t mean they don’t taste good,” Qui-Gon replied. “I take it you’re not going to finish yours?”  
  
Obi-Wan shook his head.  
  
“That’s a waste of good food, my young Padawan,” Qui-Gon said. He held out his hand. “I’ll have it, then.”  
  
Obi-Wan gave his Master back the sour fruit, avoiding Satine’s glance. He didn’t want to think about why her opinion of him happened.  
  
He ate in silence as Satine and Qui-Gon talked about Mandalore. Some of the research Qui-Gon had done had provided him with insight into the planet’s history, but Satine knew more.  
  
“It wasn’t a popular decision,” she said. “To bring peace to my system. We’ve been warriors for so long, I don’t think people realised we could be anything else. But we’re a part of the Galaxy, part of the Republic, and we need to grow and change to keep up. We can’t just be warriors. We have to be more than that.”  
  
Qui-Gon nodded. “You’re wise,” he said. “Young, but a good leader. Your people are lucky to have you.”  
  
“I try,” Satine sighed, “I don’t even know if I’ll see Mandalore again. Especially not if we’ve been followed here,” pinching the bridge of her nose, she continued. “I have no doubt that these people will stop at nothing to take me out, at the expense of their own system. I have tried time and again to negotiate with them, to talk to them, to sort things out, but all they want is my death.” She took a deep breath in, and let it out shakily. “I know this is what Mandalore needs,” she said. “I know. But sometimes… I don’t know. Sometimes it feels like the wrong thing to do just because these people are so opposed to it.”  
  
“I believe you are doing the right thing,” said Qui-Gon. “And I’m sorry it has come to this. You can’t reason with extremists.”  
  
Satine smiled sadly. “I know,” she said. “I just wish I could.”  
  
They finished their meal in silence.


	18. Chapter 18

It’s dark inside the palace, and Satine’s bare feet make more noise than they should in the silent marble corridors. She’s looking for something, unsure of what, but it’s somewhere in the palace.  
  
There’s a sound from behind her, and she spins around, but there is nothing there.  
  
She calls out. “Hello?”  
  
No one answers. Nothing stirs in the shadows. She keeps walking.  
  
Her palace disappears, and she now walks across the barren surface of Mandalore, the earth scorched by endless battles. The howling and screaming of the dead batters her, and she wants to close her eyes and stop listening, to cover her ears and block them out, but she cannot. They are the people she’s failed, the deaths she’s responsible for, and it weighs heavy on her shoulders.  
  
“What do you want?” she cries, but they don’t stop screaming, they will never stop screaming.  
  
Before her stands a faceless warrior, marked with the swirling blue-ink tattoos of the ancient Mandalorian warriors, towering over her. It points at her, and she feels a pain deep in her heart, but she cannot understand what it wants. It won’t speak. She knows she is not safe, but there is nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, and she falls to her knees, weeping.  
  
“I don’t know what to do!” she says, pounding the dirt with her fists. The screams have turned to laughter, and Satine shouts at them to _shut up shut up shut up!_  
  
Then, silence.  
  
She’s home. It’s dark, but she feels safe, and the pain in her heart has disappeared. She descends the stairs to the ground floor, looking for her mother. She catches sight of herself in the hall mirror – she’s five years old again, dressed in her soft blue pyjamas and holding her favourite toy, a badly-made shriek-hawk that her uncle had sewn for her. It didn’t look like a bird, but he’d told her what it was, and that it would protect her from the nightmares she’d been having.  
  
From the shadows, a hand reaches out, and closes around her neck.


	19. Chapter 19

Satine woke shivering. She reached up to touch her neck, to make sure it had just been part of the dream. The sensation of the hand lingered against her skin, but there was nothing there. She sat up, looking around, and saw that the two Jedi were still fast asleep. It was dark outside, the sun not having yet risen on Draboon. Dew had settled on the ship’s windows. It looked peaceful.  
  
There was a small fresher on the ship and she used it as quietly as she could before stepping outside for a breath of fresh air. The morning was cool, nicer than the heat of the day. Satine took a deep breath in, and tried to still her shaking hands.  
  
The sound of the wind in the trees was calming. Satine listened to that, and the birds singing as the sun rose. There were monkeys screaming at each other in the distance, and she could hear the nearby river.  
  
It was nothing at all like Sundari. It wasn’t anything like Kalevala, either. The Jedi seemed to be dealing well with being uprooted, but Satine had never been more afraid in her life. She worked so hard not to show it, tried to pretend that she was okay, because truthfully, she didn’t know the Jedi at all.  
  
“You can do this,” she told herself, taking another deep breath. “The Republic will send soldiers any day now, and Mandalore will have peace.”  
  
Her stomach rumbled, so she went back to the ship for the store of food. Later, when Qui-Gon awoke, she would go down to the river to get water. For now, however, she would eat, and try not to think about her nightmare.  
  
From past experience, Satine knew that it was difficult to forget nightmares. They stuck in the brain, and the more you fought them, the more power they had. Her uncle had told her that when he’d given her Kob, her shriek-hawk. Despite that, it was something she’d had to learn herself.  
  
Satine still had nightmares, but it had been years since she’d been able to sleep with Kob. As a Duchess, especially, it wasn’t proper to have cuddly toys.  
  
She sighed, and moved through the ship silently. There wasn’t much room, it being a shuttle rather than a proper space ship, and they’d had to sleep on the floor behind the cockpit. Still, it was better than no shelter at all. Satine had heard stories of the various bugs and parasites that lived on tropical planets. It was hard to forget her school lessons about Draboon and the diseases the bugs carried.  
  
She did remember, vaguely, that there was a native plant on Draboon that acted as a natural bug repellent, but she couldn’t remember what it looked like. Maybe she could use the ship’s computer to look it up. Before she did that she wanted to talk to Qui-Gon about the people he’d sensed on Kalevala. If they somehow followed Satine to Draboon, it wouldn’t be hard for them to find the ship.  
  
Qui-Gon woke while she was eating. His Padawan was still asleep, mouth open, a little bit of drool on his arm.  
  
“Did you sleep alright?” Qui-Gon asked, reaching past Satine to grab some food from storage.  
  
Satine smiled wryly. “Except for your Padawan’s snoring, yes.”  
  
Qui-Gon chuckled. “He does that,” he said. He studied Satine, then added, “You seem troubled.”  
  
Satine nodded. “I am,” she said. “I’m worried we’re going to be followed, and I’m worried that people will die.”  
  
Qui-Gon’s face fell into a neutral expression, and he seemed to appraise her before saying, “There’s a war, Duchess. People will die.”  
  
“I don’t want to kill anyone, and I don’t want you or Obi-Wan to kill people on my behalf.”  
  
Qui-Gon nodded. “Well, we will do our best, Duchess.”  
  
“Thank you,” she replied. “I… I know it’s not an easy thing to do. Especially in the heat of battle. I appreciate it.”  
  
“We are here to protect you, Duchess Satine,” said Qui-Gon.  
  
She looked away from him, and said, “And if we _are_ followed?”  
  
“These people… they will stop at nothing to remove you. To them, you are an obstacle. They will kill everyone around you if they have to. If it comes down to it, would you rather survive – for your people – than let these terrorists kill you?”  
  
“I… I don’t know,” Satine breathed out. Qui-Gon put a hand on her shoulder. He was strong, and his hand was warm, and Satine tried to take comfort from it. Qui-Gon was solid, and even in the little time they’d spent together, she’d found him dependable. The boy certainly thought highly of him. “I wouldn’t want to. I wouldn’t want to be in that position.”  
  
“But you may be,” Qui-Gon’s voice was gentle. “You understand that, don’t you? Hesitation in this situation may cost you your life.”  
  
Satine nodded. “Well. If it comes to it, I will decide then.”


	20. Chapter 20

Qui-Gon Jinn had never felt more like a father.  
  
Obi-Wan had always been opinionated, and passionate, and often sarcastic. Qui-Gon cared deeply about Obi-Wan, and felt more like a father to the boy than a teacher. Despite that affection Qui-Gon was finding it difficult to keep his patience. Obi-Wan’s moods were almost impossible to predict. Qui-Gon wasn’t sure if it was puberty, fear, homesickness, or something else. Mostly, Obi-Wan was irritable and short-tempered.  
  
Four weeks had passed since they had landed on Draboon. They had made a decent home of the ship, but it still wasn’t large enough for three people to live in. Satine and Obi-Wan were both doing their best not to get on each others’ nerves. It wasn’t working. They were both too quick with their words, both too clever for their own good. Qui-Gon could hear them bickering inside the ship about some comment Obi-Wan had made about Satine’s family.  
  
Qui-Gon sat outside the ship. If he stepped in to try and mediate the conversation they would turn on him. It had already happened twice before. They needed to move camp soon, he could feel it. He didn’t have the ability to see the future the way Master Sifo-Dyas did, but he could sense the danger that was behind them. Apparently they hadn’t lost the people who had followed them to Kalevala. Yet he had been unwilling to frighten the two of them by telling them they had to move camp.  
  
He sighed, and rubbed his temples. Force knew that he wished he could be back at the Temple on Coruscant. It would be easier to keep the Duchess safe there. Satine and Obi-Wan wouldn’t argue so much if they had enough space. Then Qui-Gon’s supposedly infinite patience wouldn’t have to be tested. Yet Satine had not wanted to leave her system, and Qui-Gon had respected that wish.  
  
Although he knew he shouldn’t, Qui-Gon wanted to speak with Shmi. By his count, she would be around six months pregnant. She had been on his mind for a while. Part of him worried that his feelings for her would get in the way of his mission. Part of him felt that the Jedi had only sent him to Mandalore to separate them.  
  
At least Shmi wasn’t alone – she had Calla. The soldier had proven herself time and again. She would keep Shmi safe, and happy, where he couldn’t. Qui-Gon still wished they were here with him, or that some other adult was on Draboon. He had no idea how he was going to deal with the children in his care. When it was just Obi-Wan, that was easy. The boy respected him.  
  
The ship had gone quiet. Either they had finished fighting or killed each other. Qui-Gon hoped for the former. He got to his feet with a groan, and stretched, cracking his back. Then, he moved inside the ship, to turn in for the night.


	21. Chapter 21

It was dawn. Qui-Gon sat on top of the ship, trying to meditate. Below, Satine and Obi-Wan were fast asleep. Qui-Gon was trying to silence his thoughts. He hadn’t slept well, and he’d heard Satine tossing and turning. The girl seemed to have nightmares most nights. With that, and Obi-Wan’s snoring, it was difficult to sleep. It didn’t help that he still felt something sinister approaching.  
  
Why couldn’t his Padawan sense it too?  
  
Distracted by this thought, Qui-Gon remembered one of his failed attempts to talk sense into Obi-Wan. It had not gone well, and Qui-Gon regretted his choice of words.  
  
“You need to stop fighting with Satine,” Qui-Gon said.  
  
Obi-Wan frowned. “What?” he asked, crossing his arms. “Tell her to stop fighting with me!”  
  
“Obi-Wan,” Qui-Gon said sternly. “You are a Jedi, and your behaviour is unbefitting of your status. You are being disrespectful to the Duchess, who you are supposed to be protecting.”  
  
Obi-Wan scowled.  
  
“Obi-Wan,” Qui-Gon put a hand on Obi-Wan’s shoulder. “Last night you were fighting about her blanket being too close to your side of the ship. Do you think that’s something that needed to turn into a fight? You know better than this, Obi-Wan.”  
  
Obi-Wan didn’t answer. Instead, he rolled his eyes and stalked away. Qui-Gon followed him, but Obi-Wan refused to talk to him.  
  
Now, Qui-Gon opened his eyes. Stretching his legs, he lay back. Qui-Gon put his hands behind his head and looked up at the sky. The sun was rising. A bird flew overhead as Qui-Gon tried to relax.  
  
A moment later he frowned and sat back up. Jumping to the ground, Qui-Gon banged on the hull of the ship. As he’d hoped, that woke the two of them up.  
  
“What’s wrong?” Satine asked, stepping outside and rubbing her eyes.  
  
Qui-Gon pointed to the sky. Above the trees, against the sun, there was a black speck headed towards them, growing larger as they watched. Obi-Wan followed Satine from the shuttle and asked, “What’s that?”  
  
“A ship,” Qui-Gon said. Looking at the two of them, he added, “I have a very bad feeling about this. Whoever’s on board… they’re here for us.”  
  
Obi-Wan took a deep breath in, then said, “I’ll get as much food as I can carry.”  
  
Qui-Gon nodded. “Satine,” he said. “Make sure you grab the water purifier. I’ll get our clothes and any tools I can find. We don’t have long. It won’t be hard to see our camp from the air.”  
  
He could sense Satine’s panic building, and put both hands on her shoulder. “It will be okay,” he said, keeping his voice steady. “We have warning, and we can run. Now, go get the purifier.”  
  
Satine nodded before heading inside the ship. Qui-Gon followed her. He collected the blankets from the floor and gathered their spare clothes together. Wrapping them in one of the blankets, he added some tools to the bundle. Then Qui-Gon made sure that Obi-Wan had his lightsaber. The boy had forgotten, again, and scrambled to grab it as Qui-Gon and Satine left the ship.  
  
“That way,” Qui-Gon gestured for them to run ahead. “I’ll be right behind you.”  
  
Satine and Obi-Wan ran across the clearing and into the trees. Qui-Gon glanced at the approaching ship. It was still far enough that whoever was flying wouldn’t be able to see him, but the shuttle was obvious.  
  
Worse, Qui-Gon could sense their hunters would not stop until they had achieved their goal. He hoped Satine and Obi-Wan wouldn’t panic. Hopefully, they would listen to him, and he would be able to keep them safe.  
  
Running through the trees after his Padawan and the Duchess of Mandalore, Qui-Gon hoped against hope that neither of them would die.


	22. Chapter 22

A moment after they left the clearing, there was the unmistakable sound of a weapon firing. Qui-Gon felt a wave of heat as there was a deafening roar. Their ship had gone up in flames. The fireball from the explosion set the trees alight, and the flames chased them. Qui-Gon ran faster, picking Satine and Obi-Wan up in his arms and using the Force, burst forward with inhuman speed.  
  
The fire burned behind them with a terrifying ferocity, and Qui-Gon knew they wouldn’t be able to outrun it for long. He stopped, setting Satine and Obi-Wan on the ground, and said, “To the river!”  
  
He didn’t have to tell them twice. They ran ahead, Qui-Gon once again bringing up the rear as they tried to outrun fire. Satine stopped at the riverbank, looking back at Qui-Gon, her face contorted in terror. Obi-Wan nearly fell into the water, skidding in the mud, and turned to his Master.  
  
“What do we do now?” he asked.  
  
Qui-Gon glanced behind him. “Jump in,” he said, taking hold of their hands.  
  
With Satine on his left and Obi-Wan on his right, they leapt into the fast-running river, and were swept away by the current. Qui-Gon struggled to keep himself, Satine and Obi-Wan afloat and together. He called upon the power of the Force once more to guide them around the jagged rocks.  
  
They were safe from the fire, but now they were in the middle of rapids. The water was freezing, nearly ice cold. Qui-Gon knew that they would have to get out of the river as soon as possible, but he wasn’t sure he had the strength to drag himself and the kids to the bank. The river wanted to drown them. He could feel its determination in the Force, and he fought it with all he had.  
  
Qui-Gon managed to push Obi-Wan towards the bank as they rounded a bend, and he saw his Padawan paddle towards the shore. Qui-Gon could sense the effort the boy was using to swim, and then he disappeared from sight as Qui-Gon and Satine were swept away.  
  
Satine was desperately keeping her head above the water, her eyes wide with fear. With both arms now free, Qui-Gon was able to get her onto his back, where she clung for dear life. She was stronger than she looked, wrapping her arms and legs around him tightly. Once she was secure, he struck out for the riverbank, using the Force to aid him. At this rate, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to walk the next morning.  
  
The river gave up, and spat them onto land. Satine stood up quickly, shivering, and helped Qui-Gon to his feet.  
  
“Our supplies…” she said in a small voice. Qui-Gon turned to face the river, and saw the few things he’d scraped together floating away.  
  
They were too far for him to retrieve with the Force. He turned to Satine, and said, “We’ll make do.” He put a hand on her shoulder, and she tried to smile. “Come on,” he said. “We need to get warm.”  
  
“But, Obi-Wan,” she started, and Qui-Gon shook his head.  
  
“He can find us,” he said. “The important thing is we get warm. Come on.”


	23. Chapter 23

Obi-Wan was freezing. He removed his cloak as soon as he was out of the river, wringing it out as best he could. He knew he’d have to take off his over clothes as soon as possible, but didn’t want to do that until he’d started a fire. With a scoff, he thought of the fire they’d just escaped. He clutched the bag that he’d managed to hold onto close to his chest.  
  
Obi-Wan could vaguely sense Qui-Gon, somewhere further downstream. If he didn’t get dry, however, he risked getting sick. From the riverbank, Obi-Wan collected some stones, using his cloak as a bag. Moving into the forest, he picked up dried sticks, moss, and leaves for kindling. Once he had everything he needed, he set up a nest for his fire. Bundling the moss and dried leaves together to catch the spark from his tinderbox, he placed the stones around it. He took the tinderbox from the bag, then spilled the contents of the bag onto the ground. Before lighting the fire he tested the tinderbox, pushing in the button on the side to make sure it still sparked. The little flame that came dancing from the top of the box made him smile.  
  
Soon he had a decent-sized fire. He’d chosen to camp in a relatively clear part of the forest. The river was still in sight. Using some branches he’d staked into the ground, he had hung his clothes to dry. Obi-Wan sat near the fire without his over clothes on, his skin bare to whatever bugs could find him. He knew there was nothing he could really do about that, because he didn’t know which plants would repel bugs and which ones were toxic. Scooching close to the fire, he sighed. Through their Force-bond, Obi-Wan could sense that Qui-Gon was alive, and in considerably less stress than before. Obi-Wan hoped that this meant he and Satine were out of the river.  
  
Obi-Wan’s stomach growled.  
  
Luckily, he still had all the food he’d taken from the ship. Some of the fruit still looked edible, despite soaking in the river. It would take considerable effort for him to ration the food. He didn’t know when he would see Qui-Gon again, and he wasn’t confident in his foraging skills. Even knowing that he would have to save the food, Obi-Wan ate his fill of the tastiest fruit. The bag was drying alongside his clothes, so he left the rest of the fruit on the ground by the fire.  
  
Now Obi-Wan picked up his lightsaber to inspect it. It had gone for a swim with him, and he was hoping that it had dried out. That it wasn’t broken. He was worried about testing it. Master Qui-Gon had often told him that the lightsaber was his life, and he should take great care that he didn’t lose or damage it. The fear of letting Qui-Gon down was almost equal to the fear of his lightsaber being broken.  
  
There was no way, this far out, on this Force-forsaken rainforest planet, that he would be able to repair it. The other Padawans already thought Obi-Wan was careless, the other Masters already thought he was overzealous. He knew what they said about him when they thought he wasn’t listening. He’d been older than most of the initiates in his clan when Qui-Gon had finally chosen to take him on as a Padawan. Obi-Wan, like a good Jedi, pretended that it didn’t bother him, and he hadn’t told Qui-Gon how he really felt.  
  
Maybe if he pretended hard enough, it would stop being a problem. Maybe that was how the other Jedi did it. Quinlan had no problems, and if he did, he hid them really well. Luminara barely spoke to him, although she barely spoke to the other Padawans anyway. Obi-Wan hadn’t quite figured out the balance Adi Gallia exhibited. He knew he was charming. He knew that he could talk people into doing things if he tried hard enough, but he hadn’t figured out a way to talk himself into feeling better.  
  
Obi-Wan sighed, pulling his legs to his chest and resting his forehead on his knees. Hugging himself, he tried to convince himself that things would be okay. If his lightsaber didn’t work, then he would fix it, or Master Qui-Gon would.  
  
He tried his best to believe himself.


	24. Chapter 24

Qui-Gon had built two campfires, and used his cloak to create a screen that separated Satine and himself. They were both sitting silently by their respective fires in their underclothes. They had nothing to eat. No spare clothing. The only thing that Satine had been able to hold onto was the compact water purifier, and Qui-Gon thanked the Force for that. He was trying to look on the upside. Soon, their clothes would be dry, and they would be able to dress and look for food.  
  
Satine watched her fire, unable to concentrate on anything. She felt exposed, not just because she was half-naked, but because one of her bodyguards couldn’t see her, and the other had vanished.  
  
She was thinking, as she had been for the past few months, about her family. Her planet, her people, and the star system she was responsible for were constantly in her thoughts. Mostly, though, she occupied with thoughts of her family. Her father Tahu’s cooking; her mother Marama’s strong arms, and her comforting hugs; her little sister Bo’s endless need to question everything; her older sister Nyree’s know-it-all attitude.  
  
Satine sighed, and poked at her fire with a stick. It still hadn’t quite set in, yet. People were earnestly trying to kill her, and she had no idea what to do about it, other than backing down from her ideals. Two things would happen then; her opponents would win, and she would probably die. There was no easy way out, and the people she faced had cut off any chances of diplomatic negotiations.  
  
How could these people be so stupid? How could they be so careless, as to discard others’ lives for their own purposes? How could they actually, genuinely want to return to that horrible, bloodied history of Mandalore, when there was so much more that Mandalorians could be?  
  
Satine had learned, growing up, that in order to defeat an enemy, one must understand them, but try as she might she could not wrap her head around the actions and desires of the terrorists who threatened her people.  
  
She glared at her clothes, which still weren’t dry, and glared at the cloak that hung between her and Qui-Gon. He reminded her a little of her mother, and she wished she could talk to him. It would be nice to take comfort in the fact that he was there to protect her, but he was so distant.  
  
Qui-Gon was even distant from his Padawan, who Satine could tell worshipped him. The boy wasn’t as good at masking his emotions as he thought. The older Jedi, however, was. Infuriatingly, unless he wanted everyone to know how he felt, it was impossible to guess.  
  
She supposed it was good that he was able to remain calm, and think logically, but over four weeks of living with him had made her realise that he was first and foremost a bodyguard, not a confidant. If he was any different, then there was a chance she would have died in that fire. As it was, he’d been able to react quickly and efficiently, and save the three of them.  
  
That they had lost their supplies was a minor detail when she focused on the fact she’d had another near-death experience. That made three, so far, in the past two months, and six overall since she’d become Duchess. The first three had been half-hearted attempts that were easily stopped by her own guard. The fourth attempt had been to destroy her palace.  
  
Angrily, she wiped away a tear, and tried to think about other things. It was hard to drag her thoughts away from the fact that she could die at any moment.  
  
Satine shivered, and moved closer to the fire.


	25. Chapter 25

Cad Bane, a blue-skinned Duros, shouted at the Wookie Dragoneye from the cockpit. “You idiot! The bounty’s higher if we bring her back alive!”  
  
The Wookie, sitting in the gunner seat, swore back at him in Shyriiwook. He accidentally fired the gun as he pounded his fists against the console.  
  
“He doesn’t care as long as he gets paid,” Aurra Sing said, sitting in the co-pilot’s seat. She’d been cleaning her weapons in the cargo hold, and come to check on the others when she heard shouting.  
  
They hadn’t seen anyone leaving the clearing and with the fire now raging below, they couldn’t set down there. Their employers, the Death Watch wouldn’t accept that. They needed her alive, or they needed proof of her death. Without that proof there was no bounty.  
  
“We’re going to have to set down somewhere else,” said Aurra. “And then walk to the clearing to check for bodies.”  
  
“We have speeders,” Bane pointed out, “We won’t have to walk.”  
  
Aurra grimaced. “Dragoneye might prove to be a problem,” she said.  
  
“You don’t trust him?”  
  
“Itchy trigger finger.” She glanced out the window, and then looked back at Bane. “If you think you can control him, then he’s your responsibility.”  
  
Bane rolled his eyes, and went back to scanning the trees. The other two bounty hunters who’d caught a ride with them to Draboon were asleep in their quarters. One was a woman from Dathomir who refused to tell them her name. Aurra had heard of her before. She went by the title of ‘Nightsister,’ and was said to specialise in Jedi. The other was a brown-and-green Terrelian Jango Jumper who could outrun anyone. Her name was Teeana.  
  
The plan was to capture the Duchess as a team and split the bounty. In theory, they would earn enough credits to split evenly between the five of them, but in practice, neither Aurra nor Bane believed that Dragoneye would follow the rules. Successful bounty hunters followed a code, but Dragoneye was a Wookie, new to the game, and overly aggressive.  
  
“If he messes this up for all of us, he knows the consequences,” Bane replied. Then he pointed. “We can land there.”  
  
Aurra looked out the window to see a large patch of land, clear of trees. She stood up, scanning for any signs of a trap, or anomalies in the land that would make their landing difficult. Despite seeing nothing untoward, she warned Bane to be careful.  
  
“I’m always careful,” he replied, and she smiled wryly at him.  
  
While Bane brought the ship down, Aurra went to wake the sleeping bounty hunters and tell Dragoneye they were landing. She wasn’t surprised to see the Nightsister was already awake.  
  
“Good sleep?” she asked. She got a nod in response. The Nightsister hadn’t spoken much since she’d signed up for the job. Aurra wasn’t sure the Nightsister could speak more than a few words in one go. Aurra shook Teeana awake, and told her they would be on the surface soon. Teeana nodded sleepily, and Aurra left them so they could prepare.  
  
Dragoneye was with Bane in the cockpit. He was grumbling at the Duros. Aurra didn’t speak Shyriiwook, but her cybernetic enhancements translated over a hundred languages, and that was one of them. Dragoneye was telling Bane not to land in that clearing, that he didn’t trust the ground was solid. Bane told him that when he was the captain of a ship, he could make the decisions about where to land.  
  
“Why don’t you trust the ground?” Aurra asked as she joined them.  
  
Dragoneye rumbled a reply.  
  
“Well, if you don’t know, then why can’t we land?”  
  
The Wookie shrugged, and threw his hands in the air exasperatedly. He stormed off, describing both of them with expletives, some of which Aurra’s tech couldn’t translate.  
  
“Do we land?” Aurra asked Bane.  
  
“Do we have a choice?” he countered. “If we let those Jedi get much more of a head start we’ll never find them, and we lose our bounty.”  
  
As they touched down, Aurra didn’t feel the familiar shudder of the ship’s feet touching solid ground. They kept sinking.  
  
“ _Sithspit_ ,” Bane snapped. “It’s a bog.”  
  
“Should have listened to the Wookie,” Aurra said, smiling.  
  
“I don’t know what you’re so happy about,” Bane replied. “If this ship goes down, you’re going down with it.”  
  
“Then you better make sure it doesn’t go down.”


	26. Chapter 26

Their clothes were mostly dry by the time night had fallen. In the humidity, it was hard to be completely dry, anyway. Satine dressed herself in the light of her fire, and heard Qui-Gon doing the same. When they were both clothed, he took his cloak down and spread it on the ground.  
  
“You can sleep on that,” he said. “I’ll keep watch.”  
  
Satine thanked, him and curled up on the cloak as best she could. It wasn’t comfortable at all. The ground was hard beneath her, and she could feel a rock poking into her shoulder. She could see Qui-Gon sitting nearby, the light of the fire dancing on his face. He looked thoughtful. She wondered whether he was worried for Obi-Wan.  
  
She closed her eyes, and hoped that if she managed to sleep, she wouldn’t dream.


	27. Chapter 27

Qui-Gon rested his eyes, his senses expanded in the Force to alert him if anyone drew near. He took a deep breath in.  
  
Behind his eyelids, he could see faint visions obscured by darkness. He had been seeing things in his dreams for the past few years, but he had never been able to make sense of them. Even speaking with Master Sifo-Dyas hadn’t helped. The Master had the gift of future-seeing, but Qui-Gon could barely recall his own visions when he woke.  
  
He had spoken, too, with his old Master, Dooku. Since Qui-Gon had taken his trials, he hadn’t had much time to spend with Dooku. He wasn’t sure if he was imagining things, or if Dooku was becoming more withdrawn. In the past, when he had been Qui-Gon’s mentor, Dooku had often voiced his concerns surrounding the Jedi Order. Qui-Gon had planned to speak with Dooku about his own doubts, but before they had been able to meet, the Council had sent Qui-Gon to Mandalore.  
  
He hoped that Dooku would be around when they returned to Coruscant. Jedi did leave the Order, but it was incredibly rare. He didn’t have to fear Dooku leaving. In the entire recorded history of the Jedi Order, nineteen Jedi had left to pursue another life.  
  
Nineteen.  
  
The Order was over five thousand years old, and only nineteen Jedi had ever left. Qui-Gon remembered talking to his Master about this, when Dooku had shown Qui-Gon the records of the Lost Nineteen.  
  
“They are no longer Jedi,” Dooku had said, and he sounded a little wistful as he spoke. Qui-Gon, at that point, had been around sixteen, and already he was almost as tall as his Master. “They left the Order for their own reasons.”  
  
“Master Yoda never spoke of them, and Instructor Maranai didn’t mention them in our history lessons,” Qui-Gon had said. He and Dooku had spoken of similar things before, and he was always curious to see how his Master’s views differed from those of the Council.  
  
Dooku waited for Madame Jocasta Nu to pass, leading a gaggle of younglings through the library. He nodded briefly at the younglings, and Qui-Gon bowed to them with a smile.  
  
When they were alone once more, Dooku said, “Yoda doesn’t like to mention them. They… are shameful parts of our history. Jedi who abandoned the Order.”  
  
“But…” Qui-Gon frowned. “Don’t we have the right to choose?”  
  
Dooku smiled grimly. “As long as we choose correctly, my Padawan.”  
  
Qui-Gon, sitting in a rainforest on the planet of Draboon, sighed. Not for the first time in his life, he wondered what it would mean if he left the Order. He was worried that Obi-Wan wouldn’t be able to find them, although he could sense that his Padawan was still alive. He knew, too, that if he left the Order while Obi-Wan was his Padawan, it would devastate the boy. Obi-Wan was nowhere near ready to become a Knight, and he didn’t want to palm him off to someone else.  
  
When he closed his eyes again, all he could see was fire.


	28. Chapter 28

Cad Bane stood with his hands on his hips, glaring at his ship. Dragoneye was laughing. Aurra Sing stood by the speeders, threatening to leave without them if they didn’t hurry. The Nightsister and the Jango Jumper were waiting with her, impatiently.  
  
“Shut up, Dragoneye,” Bane said. “We landed fine.”  
  
The Wookie laughed harder.  
  
Bane had barely saved the ship from the bog, rerouting all the ship’s power to the engines and lighting half the bog on fire as they struggled to break free. He’d gotten the ship out, crashing into the trees as he’d taken off.  
  
The next place they’d landed hadn’t been a bog because Bane hadn’t hesitated to destroy more of the rainforest to land. It was overkill, destructive and stupid, but the Wookie wasn’t helping his mood. Bane figured he was allowed to take his temper out on the planet.  
  
“Come on!” Aurra shouted. “We’ve got a bounty to catch!”  
  
Bane rolled his eyes, and sighed. The ship was filthy – but that would have to wait. It still had fuel, it could still fly. They could to deal with it once they’d finished their mission.  
  
Bane took a speeder, and led the way, heading into the forest towards the river.


	29. Chapter 29

After his clothes were dry Obi-Wan dressed quickly, and gathered his supplies back into the bag. He was exhausted, but he wanted to find Qui-Gon before their attackers did. He could sleep later, when they were safe.  
  
Slinging the bag over his shoulder, Obi-Wan set off. He kept the river to his right and followed it downstream. Bugs buzzed around his head, but he couldn’t do anything to keep them away. His ears were filled with the roar of the river, and the sound of leaves crunching beneath his boots.  
  
This was not how he’d imagined his first big mission. It was a lot less glamorous than he’d hoped. He’d heard stories of his Master’s part in the campaign on Tatooine, and now wondered what details Qui-Gon had left out.  
  
Since leaving the ship, Obi-Wan had barely seen any of the native wildlife. He assumed the explosion had scared them away. He could sense a lot of fear, and hoped that he wasn’t adding to it. The monkeys who had tried to steal their supplies hadn’t been afraid of the Jedi, or Satine. That had probably changed with the fire.  
  
Obi-Wan was afraid.  
  
He didn’t want Qui-Gon to know. His Master always seemed so level, so wise and confident, and he didn’t want to let him down. Obi-Wan wasn’t risking what he had. He’d heard of some Padawans never reaching Knighthood, and he didn’t want to be one of those.  
  
Obi-Wan sensed something – or someone – and paused, scanning the trees. He saw nothing. Obi-Wan was wise enough to know not to call out, but he couldn’t keep moving and let them surprise him. For a moment he was stuck with indecision. Then, he launched himself into a tree, using the Force to help him jump straight up into one of the highest branches.  
  
Just in time. Beneath him, two speeders passed by slowly.  
  
“I thought I’d heard something,” a white-skinned, purple-tattooed woman said. Her voice wavered as she spoke, and it was soft, soothing. As she passed by she scanned the rainforest floor. Obi-Wan felt his stomach sink as he realised they were looking for him. He hoped that they hadn’t found Qui-Gon or Satine.  
  
“Whoever built that campfire came this way,” the woman’s companion replied. Obi-Wan couldn’t quite see them through the branches, but he glimpsed brown skin, and dark green clothing. “Their footsteps end… they must have climbed a tree.”  
  
“Or jumped into the river,” the woman replied. “Anyway, those footsteps – they’re alone. We’re looking for three people.”  
  
The speeders stopped. Obi-Wan held his breath.  
  
Then, the brown one looked up, meeting his eyes.  
  
She laughed. “Look, sister, the kid’s stuck.”  
  
“I am not!” Obi-Wan shouted.  
  
“So you can get out of that tree?”  
  
“Yes,” Obi-Wan glared at her. “But I don’t want to.”  
  
“Then I’ll come get you,” the woman said. She hopped off her speeder. Obi-Wan smiled. The tree he’d jumped into had no branches within their reach. There was no way she could get near him.


	30. Chapter 30

The brown woman backed up, then ran forwards, launching herself from the ground a metre from the tree. She threw herself at the lowest branch, which hung nearly fifteen feet off the ground. To Obi-Wan’s surprise, she caught it.  
  
Pulling herself up, she leapt to the next branch, then the next, and soon she was standing next to Obi-Wan, a cocky grin on her face. He stood up, his hand hovering over his lightsaber.  
  
“I wouldn’t do that, if I were you,” she said.  
  
Obi-Wan frowned. “Do what?”  
  
She gestured. “Use your little laser sword,” she said. “We’re up pretty high, kid. Wouldn’t want you falling.”  
  
Obi-Wan glanced down. Heights had always turned his stomach, but he could stick the landing if he fell. He took his lightsaber from his belt, and activated it. The woman paused.  
  
“Kid,” her voice had a warning tone in it, but she looked afraid. “We don’t have to do this the hard way.”  
  
Obi-Wan took a step backwards.  
  
“Kid…” the woman stepped towards him, reaching out a hand for him.  
  
Obi-Wan stepped back into the air, and plummeted to the ground. A blaster bolt missed his hand by inches, and he landed in the soft undergrowth of the forest floor. Sheathing his ‘saber, he dodged the white-skinned woman, rolling out of her way and leaping onto the free speeder. As he sped off, he felt the back of the speeder dip, and glanced over his shoulder to see the brown-and-green woman standing behind him. Without thinking, he Force-pushed behind him, and heard her fall to the ground with a thump.  
  
He revved the speeder, and wove through the trees with the speed that only a Jedi could manage. Anyone else would have slammed into a tree or a log, but Obi-Wan managed to dart through them at high speeds, fleeing his pursuers.  
  
He was going so fast he didn’t see Qui-Gon and Satine.


	31. Chapter 31

“Obi-Wan!” Qui-Gon tried to flag his Padawan down, but the boy was racing through the trees as if he was trying to outrun light. Qui-Gon quickly weighed up the pros and cons of stopping his Padawan’s speeder with the Force, and decided it would just launch his Padawan through the air and potentially slam him into a tree.  
  
Satine sat up with a jolt, Qui-Gon’s shout waking her from her restless sleep. “What?”  
  
“Obi-Wan,” Qui-Gon repeated. “He… where did he get a speeder?”  
  
“Qui-Gon, what are you talking about?” She stood, not bothering to hide her irritation. “There’s no one here but us!”  
  
“I saw him,” said Qui-Gon. He picked up his cloak and stamped the fire out. “Look, he was running away from something, and that means people are headed this way. We’ve got to move. We’ll catch up with him later.”  
  
They set off, Qui-Gon allowing Satine to set the pace as they headed in the direction Obi-Wan had gone. Qui-Gon kept his senses alert, hoping that Obi-Wan’s pursuers wouldn’t follow too closely. Qui-Gon and Satine agreed that they should leave the river, to try to take a less conspicuous path than Obi-Wan had.  
  
“He has a speeder?” Satine asked, as they walked.  
  
“Apparently,” Qui-Gon replied. “That means that whoever was on that ship had speeders.”  
  
“Or he found some kind, technologically advanced natives,” Satine said, rolling her eyes.  
  
“Or that,” Qui-Gon said with a smile. “If it’s not the latter, and we assume that these people are here for you –”  
  
“They did destroy our ship,” Satine interrupted. “And if Obi-Wan is running away from them, then they’re probably hunting us.”  
  
“Exactly,” said Qui-Gon. “So we have to be careful. Keep low, keep to cover, and if I hear them coming you hide as best you can. I can hold them off, whoever they are, but they’re looking for you. And,” he sighed, “It’s likely a bounty’s been put on your head.”  
  
“Dead or alive,” Satine concluded.  
  
Qui-Gon nodded. “I’m sorry,” he said.  
  
“You didn’t do anything,” Satine replied. “Or, rather, you’ve done nothing but keep me alive. You’re not the one who has to apologise.”  
  
“I’m sorry you’re caught up in this,” Qui-Gon explained.  
  
“Because I’m a child?”  
  
Qui-Gon didn’t reply. They walked on, in silence.


	32. Chapter 32

Obi-Wan pulled up his speeder and hid it in the undergrowth. He wasn’t sure how far he’d come, and he thought he’d heard Qui-Gon call out his name. It was nearly midnight, by his reckoning, and he was exhausted. There couldn’t be any harm in trying to rest, not if he hid himself well.  
  
He curled up in the undergrowth, covered himself with his cloak, and closed his eyes.  
  
Sleep didn’t come easily. His mind was racing with fear, and he had to take several deep breaths before he could feel any sort of calm.  
  
Obi-Wan never been hunted before. It was a new, uncomfortable feeling. With the objective knowledge of a Jedi he knew that the fear wouldn’t go away without getting rid of the hunters. Still, he wished he didn’t feel so afraid.  
  
He didn’t want to kill anyone. He wondered if Qui-Gon would have to. He wondered what it would be like to kill someone, then decided he’d rather not find out.  
  
He curled up tightly beneath his cloak, clutching his knees to his chest, and tried not to cry. It wouldn’t solve anything, or change anything, and he had to get his emotions under control if he wanted to deal with the situation like a proper Jedi.  
  
So he lay there, and he thought.  
  
The bounty hunters would be after Satine. Terrelian Jango Jumpers weren’t native to the Mandalore system, and hadn’t settled in the area like other species. So even if the other woman was a local, the Jango Jumper wasn’t. There was a Padawan that Obi-Wan had trained with of the same species, and he was pretty sure this bounty hunter was one.  
  
It would be safe to assume there would be more of them, if they knew they were hunting Jedi. Likely there would be a specialist with them, a bounty hunter who’d dealt with Jedi before. It wasn’t as uncommon as people thought – there were ways to counter a Jedi’s abilities, and certain people, especially Force-sensitives, could adapt quickly if they were in a fight.  
  
Or, that was what Qui-Gon had told him. He’d never actually fought anyone outside the Temple.  
  
The best thing to do would be to find Qui-Gon. Then he could let his Master make the plan and help with that, rather than trying to figure things out on his own. Once he’d slept, he’d look for Qui-Gon.  
  
With that decision made, he closed his eyes, and tried to sleep.


	33. Chapter 33

“I can’t believe the kid stole your speeder,” the Nightsister laughed at Teeana, who didn’t seem to find the situation funny.  
  
“I can’t believe you lost him,” Teeana shot back, climbing onto the speeder behind the Nightsister. “What are we gonna tell Sing?”  
  
“We’re not. We’re gonna find him, and then we’re gonna bring him back to the ship.”  
  
Teeana put her arms around the Nightsister’s waist, and they sped off, following the path the boy had taken.  
  
“He’s a Jedi,” Teeana said.  
  
The Nightsister shook her head. “Not quite,” she said. “He’s a human, and he’s still a child. No way he’s a full Jedi yet.”  
  
“You know better than me,” Teeana replied. “So what difference does that make?”  
  
“He’s not as experienced a fighter,” said the Nightsister. ”The people who hired us said two Jedi, one woman. So that means we have a Jedi Master, and their apprentice. The Master will be the real challenge.”  
  
“And the boy?” asked Teeana.  
  
“Still difficult,” the Nightsister replied. “But that’s why I’m here.”  
  
“You’ve hunted Jedi before.”  
  
“Myself and Bane,” she said. “Sing, too, but she didn’t make a career out of it. I’m surprised Fett isn’t here. He’s been making a name for himself as a Jedi killer.”  
  
The Nightsister stopped the speeder near the river, pointing out an abandoned campsite. “That’s not his,” she said. “Other people have been this way.”  
  
Teeana jumped from the speeder, and looked over the campsite. Clearly imprinted in the soft dirt were two sets of footprints; the larger ones likely belonged to the Jedi they were hunting. The smaller ones were probably the Duchess’s, but there was a chance the boy Jedi had reunited with his Master.  
  
Teeana wrinkled her nose, and walked back to the Nightsister. “Follow the footprints,” she said. The Nightsister nodded, and they sped off again.


	34. Chapter 34

Qui-Gon and Satine had been walking for most of the night, and still hadn’t found Obi-Wan. On the bright side, they hadn’t been found by their pursuers. Satine tried to keep that in mind. If she didn’t focus on that, she would focus on her sore feet, aching back, and exhaustion. She was so tired that she could feel it physically weighing on her shoulders, dragging her down and making it harder to walk.  
  
Qui-Gon didn’t seem to be suffering, although Satine wasn’t sure if that was because he wasn’t tired, or if it had something to do with his Jedi training. Being a Duchess had not prepared her for long, arduous treks through the rainforest. She had other skills, she knew that, but hiking was not one of them.  
  
It was _humid_ , too. Her hair was tied back in a knot but it had gone frizzy, and it was too long for the heat. She was considering cutting it off, but the only thing they had available to cut things was a lightsaber. There was no way she would let either Jedi put a saber near her head, and she didn’t trust herself to do a good job of it.  
  
Satine missed the comforts of her palace. She missed her friends – although since leaving the academy she hadn’t spent much time with friends. Instead, she’d had to concentrate most of her energy on running Mandalore. She hadn’t had much time with her best friend, La Kai, and she missed her terribly. Before becoming Duchess, Satine and La Kai had done everything together.  
  
Satine smiled to herself as she remembered the party where she and La Kai had kissed. They’d both been tipsy, and both of them had been thinking about kissing the other for a long time. The kiss had been sloppy, with too much tongue and teeth banging together and they’d laughed about it during and afterwards. It was one of Satine’s happiest memories.  
  
Satine and her friends had been too young to be drinking, but that hadn’t stopped them, and the party had been broken up when the authorities had arrived. A neighbour had complained about the noise, and before they knew it, La Kai and Satine were running through the streets of Sundari, hand in hand, laughing despite the fact that if they were caught they’d never hear the end of it. Both of them had dreams of going into politics, to help Mandalore. Satine had achieved that, becoming Duchess, and she wanted nothing more than to bring La Kai into that world with her. La Kai had told her that she wanted to do it on her own.  
  
Satine hadn’t had the chance to say goodbye to La Kai, or any of her friends. She missed them all terribly. She wanted nothing more than to contact them, to tell them she was all right, that she was alive and safe, but she couldn’t. It would put them at risk, and potentially give away her location.  
  
She sighed, and kept walking.  
  
“I’m sure he’s nearby,” said Qui-Gon. She looked at him, confused, her thoughts still with her friends on Mandalore. He glanced at her, and said, “Obi-Wan. I can sense him.”  
  
“Oh,” she said. “Right.”  
  
“Is everything okay?”  
  
Satine laughed bitterly, and stopped, crossing her arms. “Oh, yes,” she said. “Everything’s fine. I’m just on the run from people who want me dead, on a planet that’s practically uninhabited, we’re low on food and we can’t call for help because it won’t get here before our heads get blasted from our shoulders, your apprentice is missing and my feet hurt because we can’t stop moving or we risk being caught by the _people who want me dead!_ ”  
  
Qui-Gon smiled. “Okay,” he said. “That was a stupid question. We can rest, if you would like.”  
  
Satine closed her eyes, and took a deep breath in. “Please,” she said, and she could hear the exhaustion in her own voice.  
  
That was how they found Obi-Wan, asleep in the bushes. Qui-Gon stepped on him as they looked for a suitable place to rest, and he yelped, jumping to his feet and drawing his lightsaber. When he saw that it was Qui-Gon and Satine, rather than the bounty hunters, he put his lightsaber away.  
  
Putting his arms around himself he muttered, “I’ve been looking for you.”  
  
Obi-Wan was a mess. There were leaves in his hair, dirt on his skin and clothing, and his face was covered in small scratches. He looked as tired as Satine felt. Yet he still had the bag he’d packed at the ship. Satine had to make a serious effort not to snatch it from him, her stomach growling at the idea of food. She clenched her teeth together, knowing she would have to wait until the two Jedi had finished their reunion.  
  
“Obi-Wan,” said Qui-Gon. He moved forward, and put a hand on his apprentice’s shoulder. “I’m so… I’m glad to see you’re safe.”  
  
“I saw two of the bounty hunters who’re after us,” Obi-Wan replied. “I stole one of their speeders. There’s a… I think she’s Force-sensitive, and there’s a Terrelian Jango Jumper too – I’m sure they’re still after me. We should probably move.”  
  
“You were napping in the bushes!” Satine said, more forcefully than she’d intended. She frowned, then added, “I think we can take five minutes to eat, at least.”  
  
Obi-Wan seemed to remember the bag, with a small exclamation, and handed it to her. He had the sense to look a little ashamed.  
  
“Thank you,” Satine said, in her best Duchess voice, and sat down cross-legged on the ground to rummage through the bag. She turned her full attention to the food, only half listening to the Jedi’s discussion.  
  
“So you think there are other bounty hunters?” Qui-Gon asked.  
  
Obi-Wan nodded. “I think so,” he said. “There were only two I encountered but they know we’re Jedi, they knew before they came here, I think, so they’ll have backup.”  
  
Qui-Gon stroked his beard thoughtfully, then said, “That’s safe to assume. Did the two you met pass by, or do you think they’re still following you?”  
  
“I think they’re still following me,” said Obi-Wan. “Master, if they catch us…”  
  
“They won’t,” said Qui-Gon.  
  
“But if they do, what do we do? I don’t want to kill anyone.”  
  
“Hopefully we won’t have to,” Qui-Gon replied. His face was grave, and he looked away from his apprentice, scanning the trees. “We will try talking with them, and if that doesn’t work… remember, Obi-Wan, fighting should always be a last resort.”  
  
Obi-Wan nodded, but he still looked worried. Satine couldn’t blame him.


	35. Chapter 35

The Nightsister watched the Jedi from the trees. Across from her, Teeana had found a place to hide, flanking their prey. The Nightsister, whose name was Shadra, watched silently, eyes narrowed, as she listened to their conversation. They were afraid. The Duchess was afraid, too, but she was taking the time to eat. Practical.  
  
The Jedi had surmised there were more than two bounty hunters. This Shadra had expected. They weren’t willing to attack first, either, which was typical of Jedi. Very well. That hesitation would be to her advantage.  
  
Shadra was a Jedi expert in many ways. Once, she had been stolen from her family and taken to the Temple on Coruscant. When she had fled, it had taken her months to shake her pursuers. In the end, she had been forced to turn her blade on them. The only advantage she’d had against two grown Jedi was surprise, and the fact she’d been willing to kill.  
  
She’d left their bodies on a backwater planet and made her way to Dathomir. Mother Talzin had welcomed her back with open arms, despite the loss of her son and betrayal from someone she’d thought was her ally.  
  
Old Daka had used the magicks of their coven to hide her tracks, to stop the Jedi from finding her again. Shadra had dedicated herself to her sisters, and proven herself by bringing a piece of the Sleeper to Old Daka and Mother Talzin.  
  
Then, she had made a career of hunting Jedi. Her name was known only to a few, to the Jedi who had stolen her and to her sisters on Dathomir, and as a bounty hunter clients knew her as the Nightsister. She still had her lightsaber, but preferred to keep it hidden, as it was another advantage.  
  
Their prey was distracted. The best course of action would be to take out the older Jedi first, and then make a break for it with the Duchess. That would put Teeana at risk, but as the Jedi weren’t willing to kill, it might be worth it.  
  
She looked at Teeana, who raised her eyebrows in question. She shook her head, and Teeana nodded.  
  
They would wait.  
  
The commlink on her wrist had a tracking beacon, and Shadra activated it to let the other bounty hunters know they’d found the Jedi.


	36. Chapter 36

Qui-Gon, Satine and Obi-Wan couldn’t all fit on the speeder together. Qui-Gon debated the wisdom of putting his Padawan and the Duchess on it and sending them off to safety. He decided, in the end, that it was safer they stick together.  
  
They set off on foot, sabotaging the speeder so if the bounty hunters wouldn’t be able to use it. Qui-Gon ate as they walked, the bag of food clipped to his belt. They walked in silence, all of them feeling the fear of being hunted. Neither Satine nor Obi-Wan had ever experienced that type of fear before. Qui-Gon had, a few times. It still bothered him.  
  
He distracted himself with a strategy game that Master Dooku had taught him. It was a mental game that used black and white stones on a chequered board. Setting the board up in his mind, he played against an imaginary opponent. As he did so, he remembered that he had intended to teach Obi-Wan the game. Before, they hadn’t had time. Now, they probably did.  
  
In the forest, there were no clear landmarks. They had passed tall, broad-leafed trees, low-lying ferns, bushes that looked dangerous to touch, and brightly coloured flowers hundreds of times. They had seen a few colourful birds, lizards hidden in the foliage, and more of those monkeys fleeing in the distance. Nothing bigger than that. No bounty hunters. Although Qui-Gon could sense them, he wasn’t sure where they were, just that they were after him. Which he already knew.  
  
They stopped when Satine stumbled from exhaustion and nearly fell onto Qui-Gon.  
  
“We should rest,” he said.  
  
She looked up at him blearily, and nodded. The sun had risen hours ago, but she hadn’t complained once. Qui-Gon had forgotten that he was travelling with children, one of whom had no ability to draw energy from the Force. He set their camp up, once again giving his cloak to Satine for her to sleep on. They ate, drank what water they had, then tried to sleep. Qui-Gon took the first watch.


	37. Chapter 37

Aurra Sing, Cad Bane, and Dragoneye met with the Nightsister and Teeana by the river. It was loud enough that it would mask their conversation, and close enough to the Jedi’s camp that they wouldn’t be able to leave without the Nightsister knowing.  
  
“So what’s the plan?” Sing asked, arms crossed.  
  
“The kid Jedi and the Duchess are asleep,” said Teeana. “We take out the old Jedi – knock him out, get him back to the ship. Once that’s done, the kid and the Duchess will follow, no question.”  
  
“We might have to use force on the apprentice,” said the Nightsister.  
  
“Death as a last resort,” said Bane.  
  
“But if they fight back –” Sing started.  
  
“If they leave us no choice,” Teeana continued.  
  
The Nightsister nodded. The others assented. They would be paid for the Jedi, dead or alive, but the pay-out would be much larger if they were alive. As much as the Nightsister wanted to kill them both, she followed a code. As did all bounty hunters.  
  
The Wookie grumbled a question.  
  
“Intact, if we can,” Bane clarified. “Amputation as a second-last resort.”  
  
Each bounty hunter moved to flank the camp in five directions.  
  
The Nightsister took her sleep-darts from her belt, and quietly darted Duchess and younger Jedi. It would feel like the sting of a bug. Neither of them woke. Shadra smiled.  
  
Aurra Sing took her rifle and set it to stun. She knelt in the brush a good distance behind the Jedi. She took a deep, steadying breath in, took aim, then –  
  
“I know you’re there, Aurra Sing,” the Jedi spoke clearly, turning to face her.  
  
Aurra swore, and fired anyway, but Qui-Gon reacted instantly, blocking the blaster bolt with his saber. Luckily, Dragoneye was a good shot, and the Jedi didn’t have time to react to the bolt that came from the right.  
  
With the force of the bolt, Qui-Gon was knocked into a tree, stunned. Teeana dropped from the trees above them, grabbing his lightsaber and tying his wrists and ankles. At the same time, the Nightsister slipped into the clearing and took the boy’s lightsaber, attaching it to her belt. As Dragoneye and Bane joined them Shadra bound the boy. Dragoneye slung the older Jedi over his shoulder, Teeana picked up the Duchess and the Nightsister grabbed the boy.  
  
Aurra put away her rifle and joined her fellow bounty hunters.  
  
“Well,” she said. “That was easier than I thought it would be.”  
  
“He knew your name,” said the Nightsister.  
  
Aurra walked over to the older Jedi, took hold of his hair, and lifted his head so she could see his face. “I think I met him a while back.” She studied him closely. “Tatooine,” she said. She quietly thanked her memory banks for their efficiency. “Ah, yes. He was younger then, acting as a bodyguard for… the Tatooine Senator.”  
  
Bane raised an eyebrow at her.  
  
“Doesn’t matter now,” said Aurra. She let go of him, his head thumping against the Wookie’s shoulder. “Let’s go, before the stun wears off.”


	38. Chapter 38

Qui-Gon was disoriented. His head ached, and he could smell something awful. He seemed to be pressed against a rug of some sort. Vaguely, he could hear people talking. There was rope tied around his wrists and legs, and something was digging into his stomach. The movements on whatever he was on were jolting, and it made it difficult to concentrate. He could sense Obi-Wan in the Force, so his Padawan wasn’t dead, and he had to hope that Satine was still alive, too.  
  
The question was, what should he do?  
  
It would be safer to assume that he didn’t have his lightsaber, so he wouldn’t rely on that to free himself. He didn’t know how many bounty hunters there were, but he could guess over four – the two his Padawan had seen, the one carrying him, and Aurra Sing.  
  
Qui-Gon clenched his teeth as he remembered chasing her through Tatooine. Failing to catch her after she’d attempted to kill Shmi. Then, he’d once again failed to capture her after she’d kidnapped Shmi for Jabba the Hutt.  
  
He really did not like Aurra Sing.  
  
Yet Qui-Gon knew he couldn’t let that get in the way of his actions. First and foremost came the safety of Satine. After that, the safety of his Padawan.  
  
Carefully, he picked at the cords around his wrists. He used the Force, loosening his bonds so that when they put him down he would be able to fight. Then, he waited.


	39. Chapter 39

It wasn’t long before Qui-Gon got his chance. The Wookie who was carrying him dumped him ungraciously on the floor of the ship, his head bouncing off the metal floor. Qui-Gon shook off his bonds then leapt to his feet. He used the Force to shove the Wookie out of the way, then quickly took in his surroundings.  
  
They were still grounded on Draboon. Good.  
  
Qui-Gon Force-pulled the blaster from the Wookie’s belt, and shot at him, hitting the Wookie in the shoulder. With the Wookie distracted by the pain Qui-Gon slipped past him, sweeping out with one hand to Force-push the other bounty hunters backwards. Aurra Sing, the Duros, and the Terrelian Jango Jumper were knocked off their feet, but the Dathomiri held her ground.  
  
They had dropped Obi-Wan and Satine, and Obi-Wan seemed to be waking up. Qui-Gon saw his Padawan’s lightsaber on the Dathomiri’s belt, and tried to summon it to him, but she resisted. He narrowly dodged a shot from her blaster, then ducked as the Wookie swiped at his head. Kicking backwards, he shot at the Dathomiri, and she dropped her blaster with a curse.  
  
Obi-Wan kicked out at the Jango Jumper standing over him, knocking the lightsaber from her belt. It rolled past him, bumping into Satine’s hand. She was still unconscious, and he was too weak to summon it. He rolled onto his side, reaching out for it, when the red-headed bounty hunter grabbed his wrists, turning him onto his back and lifting him by the neck. She shook him, and he groaned, closing his eyes and going limp.  
  
The Wookie managed to get Qui-Gon in a hug, and while he was holding Qui-Gon, the Nightsister darted forward to try to grab the blaster from him. Qui-Gon kicked out, pushing at her with the Force, and she stumbled backwards, baring her teeth in a grimace.  
  
The Duros and Jango Jumper had lifted Satine off the ground, and was pulling her into ship, trying to get around the Dathomiri. Qui-Gon glanced outside, and saw his Padawan in Aurra’s grip, but there was nothing he could do. The Wookie still had him in a hug, and the Dathomiri was trying to close in on him.  
  
Aurra had Obi-Wan by the collar, looking at his eyes for any signs of consciousness. Her head got close to his and he jerked forward, smashing his forehead into her nose. She dropped him with a shout, stumbling back and holding her hands to her nose. It was bleeding through her fingers, and her face contorted in a mask of fury.  
  
“You little shit!” She cursed, kicking him in the ribs.  
  
Obi-Wan grunted, curling over, tears streaming down his cheeks. With a tremendous shout, Qui-Gon knocked the Dathomiri off her feet, and flipped the Wookie over his shoulders. Grabbing the lightsaber on the Dathomiri’s belt he ran to his Padawan’s side, elbowing Aurra in the throat. She went down heavily, hitting the floor, and he cut the ropes binding Obi-Wan’s hands and feet.  
  
His Padawan stood a little shakily, and grabbed his lightsaber from the ground as Qui-Gon went after Satine. He knocked the Duros into the wall of the ship, the Duros’ head hitting the metal with a clang, then kicked the Jango Jumper, and Satine fell to the floor.  
  
The Wookie swiped at Qui-Gon and he ducked, sliding forward on one knee and bringing his lightsaber up. The Wookie’s arm fell to the floor with a thud, and he screamed in fury. The Nightsister made a grab for Qui-Gon, but he dodged her and sent her flying with a Force-enhanced punch.  
  
Qui-Gon picked Satine off the floor of the ship, sheathing his lightsaber, and left the ship. Outside Obi-Wan was holding Aurra at lightsaber point. There was a look on his face that Qui-Gon had never seen on his studious, diligent Padawan. Qui-Gon knew that Obi-Wan had a temper, but the boy had done well to tame it. If Qui-Gon gave him permission now, while he was angry and afraid, he would set the boy up to fall to the Dark Side.  
  
“What do we do with them, Master?” he asked.  
  
Qui-Gon looked around at the scene. At Aurra’s broken nose, the Wookie lamenting the loss of his arm, and the other semi-conscious bounty hunters. The Duros was out cold. The Jango Jumper had hit her head hard on the floor of the ship and was staring at the roof. She was still breathing, at least. Qui-Gon could see that from where he stood. The Dathomiri lay near the Wookie, her eyes shut, a sizeable bump on her forehead.  
  
To strike them down now would save him a lot of trouble in the future, but that was not the Jedi way. If he had killed them in the heat of battle, it would be different. Qui-Gon had disabled them, and to kill them now would be dishonourable. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath in, and when he let it out he looked at Obi-Wan.  
  
“Leave them be,” he said.  
  
Aurra looked at him, her eyes widening as she tried to figure out what his game was.  
  
“But, Master,” Obi-Wan looked between Qui-Gon and Aurra. “They’re trying to kill us.”  
  
His face had changed from furious to afraid, and he once again looked so much like the child he was. Qui-Gon wondered how fine a line he would have to walk, to keep Obi-Wan’s innocence while training him to fight. He heard Shmi’s voice in his head, asking how the Jedi could call themselves peacekeepers when they trained children as warriors.  
  
Qui-Gon nodded. “And we won’t sink to their level, my Padawan,” he said. “Come. We’ll lose them if we get enough of a head start.”  
  
With that, he, Obi-Wan and the still unconscious Satine took two speeders from the bounty hunters, and fled across Draboon.


	40. Chapter 40

They got a good head start on the bounty hunters. The speeders allowed them to travel far during the day. At night, Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon took shifts to watch over the camp. Satine had offered, but Qui-Gon explained he and his Padawan would be able to sense danger. She had raised an eyebrow at this – had the Jedi sensed the bounty hunter’s approach? but said nothing.  
  
They had to stay on the move. They tried to stay near a water source, but couldn’t follow the river, as the bounty hunters would expect that. They went overland, doing their best not to leave tracks, keeping their fires small and their waste buried. Obi-Wan took the longest to get over the idea of going to the toilet outdoors. Satine adapted faster than Qui-Gon had expected.  
  
She and Obi-Wan had taken a while to recover from the sleeping drugs, because Qui-Gon had pushed them beyond their limits to get them away from the bounty hunters. Days later, they were still feeling the effects. Satine and Obi-Wan hadn’t spoken about it to Qui-Gon, but each had noticed it in the other. Satine was tired almost constantly, pushing herself to stay awake during the day. When she slept at night, she slept so deeply that she couldn’t recall her dreams. She wasn’t sure she wanted to.  
  
Despite the fact that they could die at any moment, there was a sense of monotony to every day. They would eat, sleep, wake, take the speeders a certain distance – Qui-Gon said they had to keep moving so the bounty hunters wouldn’t be able to catch them. Then, they would repeat. It had gotten tedious the first week, and Satine knew that it would continue in that fashion until they were either caught, found somewhere safe, or got message from the Republic that Mandalore had been saved.  
  
Some nights, it was all Satine could do to make sure the Jedi didn’t hear her crying herself to sleep.


	41. Chapter 41

A few weeks after their escape, they came across ruins of ancient buildings. There was no sentient life that they could see. The ruins were overgrown with plants, and overrun with monkeys. A large, colourful bird sat on the crumbling remnants of a tower, looking at them with beady black eyes.  
  
“I didn’t know people once lived here,” Satine said quietly. Walking through the ruins, she felt she had to speak softly. There was something still about the place, and it felt as if any moment whoever had lived there would return.  
  
Qui-Gon touched the wall of one of the buildings, and said, “They haven’t, not for a long time.” He frowned. “But there is a strong presence here… something lingering.”  
  
“What do you think happened here?”  
  
Qui-Gon looked at Satine, who was looking around with wide eyes. Obi-Wan had wandered off to explore.  
  
“I don’t know,” he said. “I can sense… something happened, a long time ago. There are still echoes of fear, but that’s all I can feel.”  
  
Satine frowned. “This is a part of Mandalorian history,” she said. “And we’ve just forgotten it?” Shaking her head, she looked around. “There’s so much we’ve lost to war. So much history, forgotten, because the victors destroyed what they conquered.” She sighed.  
  
Qui-Gon didn’t speak. The weight Satine carried on her shoulders was more than any child deserved. Instead, he put a hand on her shoulder.  
  
“Master!”  
  
Qui-Gon and Satine rushed to Obi-Wan, who was crouching in the dirt. He turned to them, grinning, and said, “Look what I found!”  
  
Qui-Gon crouched by his apprentice, and Satine bent down to look at whatever the boy had discovered. Amongst the leafy debris, against a crumbling wall, Obi-Wan had found a nest of large eggs.  
  
As soon as they joined him, the bird sitting on the tower screamed and dived at them, swooping down in a flurry of furious feathers and talons. Qui-Gon kept it off them, yelling at Obi-Wan to leave the eggs alone. Satine made a dash for the cover of the trees, and watched, trying not to laugh as the Jedi Master and his apprentice were attacked by a bird.  
  
Qui-Gon tried to fend it off without hurting it while also trying to stop Obi-Wan from drawing his lightsaber on the animal.  
  
“Try running!” Satine called from the trees.  
  
The bird grabbed Obi-Wan’s braid in its beak, scratching at his face with its claws. Obi-Wan punched it, and it flew backwards with a squawk. He chased after it, shouting, and Qui-Gon had to run after him, picking him up around the waist and dragging him away.  
  
The bird swooped at them again, and Qui-Gon managed to Force-push it out of the way, carrying Obi-Wan over to Satine. Dumping Obi-Wan on the ground, Qui-Gon turned around, raising his hands and closing his eyes. To his apprentice, he said, “Watch, Obi-Wan.”  
  
The bird stopped mid-flight, and turned. Other than raising his hands, Qui-Gon had done nothing. Satine watched him carefully but she couldn’t tell what it was he’d done. Obi-Wan wrinkled his nose as he watched, putting a hand to his cheek. When he took his hand away, he noticed the blood on his face.  
  
“Oh, here,” Satine said, noticing the scratches. She handed him a strip of clean fabric, and he took it gratefully, pressing it against the wound.  
  
“That’s dealt with,” Qui-Gon said, turning around. The bird had returned to the tower, and was watching them suspiciously. “Come on,” he said. “Back to the speeders. We’ll find somewhere else to camp.”  
  
As they walked away, Satine looked back over her shoulder at the ruins. She had wanted to look around a little more, see if she could find anything that would point her to the history of Draboon. Yet the Jedi were walking ahead, and if she didn’t follow she’d be left behind. With a sigh, she hurried after them.


	42. Chapter 42

Roughly two months had passed since the bounty hunters had attacked. It was hard to tell, however, as Standard time wasn’t a perfect unit of measurement. Qui-Gon was trying to keep track of the days, as he knew Obi-Wan’s birthday was approaching.  
  
Jedi didn’t celebrate the day they were born, but they did mark the occasion. As they were so far from home, Qui-Gon wanted to do something nice for Obi-Wan. He was a Jedi, but he was also a child, and Satine deserved a break from the constant fear as well. It would be nice to have a day or two where they could pretend to relax. Qui-Gon had noticed Satine crying herself to sleep every other night. He had noticed the fear that his Padawan felt.  
  
They had found a cave to hide in. It was spacious, and well-hidden. It had been about a week since they had found it, and three days since the rains had started. So far the bounty hunters hadn’t found them.  
  
It wasn’t cold, but it was miserable, and they were constantly damp. Qui-Gon did his best to stop their food and clothes from growing mouldy. Of all the problems he’d thought they’d encounter, wet weather wasn’t one of them.  
  
That night, Qui-Gon tried his best to throw together a decent meal. Satine noticed, and asked him what the occasion was.  
  
“It’s Obi-Wan’s birthday,” he said. Then, after a moment, he added, “Or, almost.”  
  
“Is it?” said Obi-Wan, looking up from his carving. He had a small pile of wood shavings next to him, and rocks that he’d sharpened with his lightsaber. Qui-Gon was interested to see the things his Padawan was carving, but Obi-Wan refused to show him or Satine. As soon as he’d finished a carving, he’d throw it on the fire. Obi-Wan claimed he was only trying to pass the time.  
  
“As far as I can tell, it’s around the week of your birthday,” Qui-Gon replied. “I thought we should do something to mark the occasion, seeing as we don’t have much else to celebrate.”  
  
“So you thought you would… give us some extra fruit and cook…” Satine paused, wrinkling her nose. “Is that a monkey steak?”  
  
Qui-Gon nodded.  
  
“I… think I’ll pass on that,” Satine said. “I’m sure Obi-Wan will enjoy it, though.”  
  
Qui-Gon smiled at her. “Hopefully,” he replied.  
  
She returned the smile, then turned her attention back to _her_ project. Satine had been practicing weaving, with reeds. She was yet to create anything that resembled, well, anything, but it kept her mind off things.  
  
Once the food was prepared, Obi-Wan joined them, throwing whatever he’d been carving into their fire.  
  
“Another one?” asked Qui-Gon. “When are you going to show these to us, Obi-Wan?”  
  
“Probably never,” was his response, as he sat down cross-legged. “Unless I make something I really like.”  
  
Satine smiled at him, and threw her project onto the fire, too. Obi-Wan smiled back. Qui-Gon raised his eyebrows, but said nothing. He was grateful they weren’t bickering as much as they had been on the ship. While Satine seemed oblivious to the way Obi-Wan looked at her, Qui-Gon wasn’t. Yet there was never time for him to talk to his Padawan discreetly. It wasn’t safe to leave Satine by herself. As long as Satine didn’t have any idea about the possible feelings his Padawan had for her, it would be okay.  
  
If he lectured Obi-Wan about his feelings for Satine, Qui-Gon would feel like a hypocrite. Worse, Obi-Wan knew about his relationship with Shmi Skywalker, and the boy would definitely bring that up in the conversation.  
  
Qui-Gon took a calming breath and focused himself on the moment.  
  
“I know this isn’t the best birthday you could have,” said Qui-Gon. “But I thought it would be nice to try our best to celebrate it.”  
  
Obi-Wan’s smile was bright and sincere. “Thank you, Master,” he said.  
  
“So, how old does that make you?” Satine asked. Qui-Gon watched her for any signs of ‘interest’, but she only seemed to be trying to keep the conversation going. Too often they fell into silence. Qui-Gon had never expected the sound of rain to be annoying.  
  
“Oh,” said Obi-Wan. He looked confused for a moment, then said, “Fifteen.”  
  
Satine raised her eyebrows in surprise, and said, “You’re older than you look.”  
  
Obi-Wan blushed, looking at the fire. “How old did you think I was?”  
  
Satine thought about it, then said, “Thirteen?”  
  
Even Satine couldn’t miss how offended Obi-Wan looked, though he quickly neutralised his expression. She frowned, and said, “I’m sorry.”  
  
“No, it’s nothing,” said Obi-Wan. He still wouldn’t look at her. “I just… it’s nothing.”  
  
They ate the birthday meal in silence after that, listening to the rain pouring down outside the cave. The monkey steak didn’t taste awful. Obi-Wan thought it was nice to finally have meat with a meal. Since arriving on Draboon, they’d found eggs and the occasional bird, and a lot of fruit and vegetables. Through trial and error, they had discovered what was and wasn’t edible. Luckily, not many plants on Draboon seemed to be toxic.  
  
Later, as they settled down to sleep, Qui-Gon once again reached out through the Force to sense if there was anyone nearby. Once again, he couldn’t sense anything other than the native wildlife. He stoked the fire, and prepared himself for another long night.


	43. Chapter 43

The Republic still hadn’t come to Mandalore’s aid.  
  
It had been months since Satine had sent word to Coruscant. Despite her bravery and her standing, Satine was still just a child, and after the attempts on her life it had fallen to the Prime Minister of Mandalore, Almec, to keep things going. The terrorists had taken most of Sundari – and the rest of the planet – and most officials had gone into hiding.  
  
Almec had done his best to rally the people to him, but his life was also in danger, and he didn’t have Jedi to guard him. So, to the best of his ability, with only a handful of guards, Almec had gone underground.  
  
There were independent cells of resistance allied to the New Mandalorians, but no organisation. It would be good if the rebel groups could organise themselves to fight strategically. If they could work together to drive those who opposed their beliefs from Mandalore’s cities, and perhaps the planet itself.  
  
The people were growing tired.  
  
Those who Almec had met seemed dispirited, to say the least. If they lost their fire, the war itself would be lost. Yet he had no way to contact them all, no way to reach out to the masses without revealing his location. He had even lost all contact with the Senator on Coruscant, Awhina Tser, who had been petitioning the Senate for over a year to send aid to the Mandalore system.  
  
The people were losing faith in the Galactic Republic. Almec could see it, had heard it, and felt it in his own heart. They needed to see their Duchess, they needed to hear from the Senate, they needed the Republic to show their force and prove their worth. Yet none of that was happening, and Almec could not find out why. Communications had been cut off, following a terrorist strike on the main communications hub in the city. The terrorists weren’t making demands anymore. Everyone knew what they wanted.


	44. Chapter 44

Shadra had been left alone on the stupid tropical planet for almost two months. Cad Bane, Aurra Sing and Dragoneye had returned to Mandalore for more supplies and better weapons. Teeana had completely abandoned the mission, saying that she wasn’t willing to stay on Draboon a moment longer. Shadra was disappointed in the Jango Jumper. The Nightsister made an effort not to get attached to anyone she met, anyone she worked with, but even before she had taken the Mandalore job she’d travelled with Teeana. They had formed an alliance of sorts. Now, for the first time in almost half a year, Shadra was without a companion.  
  
The other bounty hunters had agreed Shadra was the best person to leave on Draboon, as she knew enough of the Force to mask her presence from the Jedi. Despite the older Jedi reaching for her through the Force each night, neither Jedi had sensed her.  
  
Bane had said he’d return less than a month after they had left Draboon, but the last thing she had heard from him was that they were having trouble contacting their employers. Civil war may offer a lot of work for mercenaries and bounty hunters, but it didn’t mean that it was stable. This line of work never was.  
  
Shadra crouched in the hollow of a tall, fat tree, watching her three targets, envious of their shelter. They didn’t know they were still being hunted, and they had food. They had the luck to be able to light a fire, too, something that Shadra longed for.  
  
She sighed, and curled up in the tree hollow, trying to make herself comfortable. She wrapped her arms around her legs, and, as she had done for the better part of her time on Draboon, she waited.


	45. Chapter 45

On Coruscant, Senator Awhina was in a private meeting with Chancellor Finis Valorum. She had begged audience with him for weeks, after her attempts to send the Republic army to Mandalore were continuously rejected in the Senate.  
  
There was so much red tape, and it pained her that there was no way around the paperwork and political machinations of the Republic. The last time Awhina had heard from her planet, the Duchess had just survived an assassination attempt. Awhina had barely managed to convince the Senate and the Jedi Order to send help. The fact that Satine was so young had helped, but since then Awhina had been stopped at every possible effort to send aid to Mandalore. Valorum seemed to care more about money than people’s lives.  
  
“Please, Chancellor, my people _need_ this aid,” she said. “Without the help of the Republic Mandalore will be taken over by these terrorists. If that happens, I have no doubt that they will do more than cause trouble for the Republic.”  
  
“Is that a threat?” Valorum asked. He had been accompanied by the Vice Chancellor, Mas Amedda, who stood silently behind his chair. Awhina had never really liked the Chagrian, but there was nothing she could do about his presence in the meeting.  
  
“Of course not!” Awhina was insulted that the Chancellor would assume such a thing. “But I know the type of people who are terrorising the citizens of my planet. If they gain control, I don’t know what they will do, but I believe they will secede from the Republic and become a… problem.” Leaning forward in her chair, she added, “In the long term, this will cost the Republic financially much more than it will to send Republic forces now.”  
  
Money was his language, and Awhina had to hope she’d spoken it right. He sat for a moment, considering her proposal, then said, with a glance at Mas Amedda, “I will have to talk this over with my advisors.”  
  
Awhina bit back her protest, and nodded. Rising from her seat, she thanked the Chancellor for his time. Later, she would complain bitterly to her partner, but for now, she had to pretend that she was as satisfied with the result. She’d speak with Valorum again, and continue to push her agenda to the other Senators in public and private. Awhina was good at what she did. She was passionate, and willing to do anything for her planet. That made her dangerous.


	46. Chapter 46

Cad Bane was getting frustrated with his employers. They were making he and his associates jump through more hoops than a politician. All Bane wanted was better weapons, and new speeders. Some sensors, too, to pick up on heat signatures in the jungle.  
  
It had taken them a while to contact their employers in the first place. Then, it had taken longer to convince them they were the bounty hunters they had originally hired. A month or so later, Bane, Sing and Dragoneye were given the coordinates to their base. Bane knew the process had been sped up because they had a Wookie with them, and Dragoneye carried himself like someone who was willing to kill indiscriminately. People who assumed that of him were usually correct.  
  
Cad Bane, Aurra Sing, and Dragoneye followed a silent, armoured Mandalorian through the hallways of the abandoned building. Bane knew that he wouldn’t get anything from them. The bounty hunters were being taken to the leader, or one of the subordinates who would be able to give them what they needed. That was what Bane hoped, anyway.  
  
They entered a room with high ceilings, lit by fluorescent lights. About seven other armoured Mandalorians turned to look as they came in, and the Mandalorian who was escorting them departed. One of the soldiers removed their helmet, and walked over to them. She had short-cropped black hair, dark skin, and pale brown eyes. A scar ran from her left temple across her face, to the right side of her jaw. She didn’t look like a woman to be messed with.  
  
“Ah, you must be the bounty hunters,” she said. “My name is Vizla. Phobos Vizla, Clan Vizla.”  
  
“Cad Bane. These are my associates, Aurra Sing and Dragoneye.”  
  
“I heard you’re having trouble with our Duchess,” the woman smirked. “I suppose you’re here to ask for assistance.”  
  
Aurra Sing crossed her arms, sizing up Phobos. “Something like that,” she said. “We need equipment. If you want us to catch your targets, alive, you’ll give us the best you can spare.”  
  
“Come with me,” said Phobos. “We’ll talk in private.”


	47. Chapter 47

Phobos took them to an empty room and sat down, placing her helmet on the table between them. Her helmet was silver, painted with red, and stamped with the shriek hawk symbol of the Death Watch. Cad Bane reluctantly sat beside Aurra Sing, and Dragoneye stood behind them, his figure intimidating.  
  
“We’ve put most of our resources into this war,” said Phobos. ”From… the New Mandalorians, we’ve encountered more resistance than expected. Only a few years ago we were able to take most of the planet, and now we’re fighting our own people to keep that control. So, you’ll understand if we can’t give you the best of the best.”  
  
Aurra tried not to scowl.  
  
“We want the Duchess,” Phobos continued. “So we’re willing to give whatever we can so you can… secure her. What do you need?”  
  
Between them, Bane and Sing listed as many things as they could think of that would aid them in their hunt. Then, Phobos told them to wait while she conferred with her people.  
  
“I hope our Dathomiri friend is still alive,” Bane said in a low voice.  
  
Dragoneye grunted.  
  
“I’m sure she’s fine,” Sing replied. “She proved she can handle herself.”  
  
Moments later, Phobos returned, with a smile on her face. “You’re in luck,” she said. “We’ve got just what you need.”


	48. Chapter 48

Almost two weeks after her meeting with Valorum, Awhina was contacted by Almec in her apartments. Her holoprojector showed an image of the Prime Minister, who looked harried and filthy. Before she greeted him, she hit the record button, on the off chance he would say something to support her cause.  
  
“Prime Minister Almec!” she said.  
  
“Senator Tser,” he said. “Oh, it’s good to hear your voice. How are things going with the Senate?”  
  
She bit her lip. “Not good, Prime Minister,” she replied. His face fell. “But I think things will turn soon. Chancellor Valorum seems to be weighing up the… the costs. Financially, that is. He doesn’t seem to care too much about the lives of our people. How… how do they fare?”  
  
Almec shook his head, closing his eyes. Then he put his face in his hands and broke down in tears. “So many dead, Senator, so many dead! I don’t know what to do! If the Republic doesn’t intervene… I don’t know what will happen.”  
  
“And the Duchess?”  
  
“We don’t know where she is, only that the terrorists don’t have her in their custody, and that the Jedi are still with her. Wherever they are.”  
  
“You haven’t heard from her?”  
  
Almec got himself under control, and shook his head. “No, we haven’t,” he said. “But we’ve had… there was an attack on our communications hub about a month ago, and that put us out of order for a while. So we haven’t been able to contact her or the Jedi since.”  
  
Awhina rubbed her temples, then said, “I’ll tell Valorum the situation is worse than I imagined. Almec, good luck.”  
  
“Thank you, Awhina,” he said. “I’ll try and call you again soon. Please, the Senate needs to send help. We can’t last much longer.”


	49. Chapter 49

The recording ended, the screen shutting off over Senator Awhina’s head, Almec’s face disappearing.  
  
“So you see,” she said, addressing the Senate. “Mandalore is in dire need of Republic aid. Think carefully. If the Mandalore system is taken over by these renegades, what is to stop them from expanding? They do not care for the lives of their own people, of my people! What price are you willing to pay, what are you willing to risk, so that at the end of the day the Republic has a little more money in its coffers? I ask you, what decision would you make if this were your planet, your people? Please,” she said, bringing her hands together. “Mandalore cannot fight alone any longer.”  
  
There was applause. Awhina stood back, guiding her pod back to the wall so Chancellor Valorum could speak.  
  
To Awhina’s surprise, Valorum didn’t argue her case. He simply announced that it would be put to the vote.  
  
A moment later, and after years of war, the Grand Republic made a concise decision to send troops to the Mandalore system, to end the bloodshed.  
  
Awhina was surprised, to say the least. Now, the New Mandalorians had a chance at bringing the Duchess’ vision of peace to their system. It took all her willpower not to weep openly with the news, and as soon as the session was finished, she ran all the way to her rooms to call Almec and tell him the good news.  
  
She was stopped outside the Senate building by Mas Amedda, who asked her if she would come with him, to discuss a private matter. With no obvious reason to decline, she asked if there was a chance she could stop by her home, first.  
  
“Of course,” he said. “I’ll drive you myself.”  
  
Senator Awhina followed the Vice Chair to his speeder, a sleek, shiny red air speeder that was probably top-of-the-line. Awhina didn’t know much about Mas Amedda, but she recognised expensive things when she saw them. He seemed so unassuming, and the speeder was a little surprising to her. Still, she didn’t comment on it, and allowed him to help her into the speeder with a smile.  
  
“You’re brave, Senator,” he commented as they rose into the air, joining Coruscant’s busy skyways.  
  
Awhina looked at him, brows furrowed, and said, “What do you mean?”  
  
“Going behind the Chancellor’s back like that,” he explained. “He was still considering your proposal.”  
  
She felt her chest tighten. Taking a breath, she told herself; he’s not threatening you. There were cameras all over the Senate building, and if she went missing, they would connect her disappearance to him.  
  
Mas seemed to notice that she was uncomfortable, and said, “Finis didn’t send me, if that’s what you’re thinking. He’s not that kind of politician, not even that kind of man. You’re in no danger.”  
  
That didn’t help her relax, but she nodded.  
  
“He’s simply not going to look on you with favour,” Mas explained. “That’s not what I wanted to talk to you about, in any case. But it can wait, until you’ve finished whatever business you have to take care of.”  
  
They arrived at the building where Awhina lived, and she hopped out of the speeder.  
  
“I’ll wait here for you,” he said.  
  
Inside her rooms, Awhina debated the wisdom of lettin Mas wait outside until he left. She knew it would be rude, but she couldn’t help feel that something was off about the situation.  
  
First things first. She went to her holocomm and tried to call Almec. He didn’t answer, so she left a message, a recording of herself telling him the good news. She took a moment to compose herself after the message, then left her apartment.  
  
A moment later she returned, to grab a compact blaster she had stashed under her pillow. She slipped it into her pants pocket, and left, both curious and cautious to find out what the Vice Chair wanted with her.


	50. Chapter 50

“Can you tell me where you’re taking me?” Awhina asked, before getting back in the speeder.  
  
Mas nodded. “A friend of mine wishes to speak with you. He was impressed with your actions in the Senate today. It is up to you whether or not you listen to what he has to say, but I believe you should hear him out before you decide.”  
  
“Who are you talking about?” she asked. “What friend? And where are we meeting him?”  
  
“We’re meeting him in the Undercity, if you’re willing to come with me,” said Mas. “He’s a man who wishes to change the Galaxy for the better. To bring peace to the Republic.”  
  
Awhina frowned. “What’s his name?” she asked.  
  
Mas sighed. “He doesn’t wish his name to be widely known,” he said. “The work he does… or, rather, the work he’s trying to do is important, but it could easily earn him enemies in the Senate. You must know, Senator Tser, that there are politicians in the Republic who are more interested in money than in democracy.”  
  
Awhina nodded. “Is your friend a politician?”  
  
“Of sorts,” said Mas. “Are you going to hear him out, or not? I don’t have all day.”  
  
Awhina’s stomach twisted, but she got into the speeder with him. “What exactly does he want to talk to me about?”  
  
Mas smiled as he pulled away from the building, joining the lines of traffic smoothly. “Politics, of course.” He laughed. “But, honestly, I believe he wishes to make connections with certain senators who genuinely care. He wants to be able to bring us together, to help us make a difference.”  
  
“How, exactly?”  
  
“You can ask him that,” said Mas. “It’s up to you whether or not you trust him. I know what I believe, and I know what I think. Once you meet him, you can make your own decision.”  
  
Awhina settled back in her seat, and let Mas Amedda drive them to the Undercity.   
  
  
  
There were three other people outside the bar Mas Amedda brought Awhina to, and they all looked as lost as she felt. She recognised Senator Wrede of Semeria, Senator Dod of Cato Nemoidia, but the third person was a hollow-faced Givin, a species native to Yag’Dhul.  
  
As Mas and Awhina joined them, the Givin nodded to Mas, saying, “Our mutual friend is waiting.”  
  
Though they looked similar to a human skeleton, the Givin’s voice was smooth and charming, and Awhina was caught off-guard. She and the other Senators followed the Vice Chair and his friend into the bar. The music was loud, neon lights making Awhina’s head dance as she tried to keep up with the others, weaving through the crowd. They were heading for a back room. Mas paused in the doorway to usher her through.  
  
There was a hooded man seated alone in the room, his face shrouded in shadows. When they were all inside, Mas closed the door behind them, and the man began to speak.  
  
Afterwards, all Awhina remembered was that she had agreed with him on everything he had said, and if it came to it, she would again.


	51. Chapter 51

Anakin Skywalker was born on the planet Tatooine, in a hospital his mother had helped build.  
  
Since Qui-Gon Jinn had left for Mandalore, Shmi hadn’t heard anything from him. What she knew about the situation in the Mandalore system told her that he probably wouldn’t be able to contact her. She was worried. Her wife, Calla, suggested they visit Kasari and Yula on Tatooine, to distract Shmi’s in the last months of her pregnancy. Kasari and Yula were Shmi’s adoptive Togruta mothers.  
  
Shmi had agreed, and let the Bith representative, Zofi D’jek, take over her duties in the Senate. She’d said goodbye to her friends – Bail wished her the best of luck, and told her his parents and Durandal sent their regards. Shmi and Calla had left Coruscant, to return once again to the planet Shmi had liberated.  
  
Anakin Skywalker was not born a slave.  
  
Truly, this was all Shmi had ever wanted for her child. She cried as she gave birth, not just from the pain, but because she was euphoric. No child of hers would ever have to experience a life of submission. No child of hers would have to fear pain, or being killed for insubordination, or risk their life and the lives of those around them simply by standing up for themselves. They would not have to count every meal, hide the their belongings so no one would take them, pretend they didn’t care about the things they loved so they could not be used to hurt them. They would know that they had worth, and that their worth came from their existence as her child, someone she loved, and of their own person. Not on how hard they could work for an uncaring master.  
  
Anakin Skywalker was given the name that Shmi had chosen for herself as a free woman.  
  
Shmi was accompanied to the hospital by a family she had never expected to have; Kasari, Yula, and Calla. Calla stayed through the birth, helping her as best she could. When it was over, a human nurse cleaned the newborn, then swaddled him, and handed him to Shmi.  
  
Shmi held her child close to her chest, and looked down at his face. He had fine, sandy-blonde hair, and a dark round face with blue eyes and a button nose. She brushed his cheek gently with a finger, then looked at Calla, smiling.  
  
“He’s beautiful,” she said hoarsely.  
  
Calla smiled at her, adoration clear in her face. “What are you going to call him?”  
  
Shmi looked down at her son, and said, “I don’t know. I don’t have to name him yet, do I?”  
  
“Of course not,” said Calla.  
  
Shmi slept for a long time after that, unaware of her visitors. Kasari and Yula came first, then Joi and Jira. Dain stayed home with Fenn, who hadn’t wanted to make the journey to the hospital. Calla kept onlookers away from the room. People who had heard the Senator was back on Tatooine had tried to get in to see her and her newborn child.  
  
No one there could have guessed how significant Anakin’s birth was. To Shmi, the only thing that mattered at that moment in time was her family.


	52. Chapter 52

Master Sifo Dyas was meditating. He had been trying to connect with the Living Force, to feel his way through the visions of the future that so often clouded his mind. It took concentration to sort them, to see what would be, what might be, and what would never come to pass.  
  
There was a pit of dread in his stomach, and try as he might to shake the feeling, it persisted. Something was wrong within Force. Something dark had touched the light, and was spreading through the Galaxy, turning the Force to its will. Like a disease, it would eat at the heart of the Republic and the Jedi.  
  
Sifo-Dyas was shaken by a vision so intense that it left him stunned, lying on the floor and staring dazedly at the ceiling. Sitting back up, he dusted himself off, and sighed.  
  
A war was coming. He knew that. He didn’t know who had put this in motion – he was not sure if the Sith had returned, or if the Force had done this itself, but if this future he saw came to pass the Republic would need defences far greater than those they possessed. Sitting in his meditative position, Sifo Dyas thought. He had to tell the Jedi Council. They would have to petition the Senate. Somewhere, they would be able to get enough troops. Somewhere.  
  
He recalled, vaguely, hearing about the prowess of a species – the Kaminoan – who were experts in the field of cloning. Perhaps that was the answer, although they would have to find a sentient willing to be cloned. They would also have to already be a trained warrior. No Jedi would consent to such a thing. It would be too proud if one Jedi stepped forward as a better candidate than the others.  
  
They could look through the Republic’s own troops. Most of them had been deployed to Mandalore, but it would take time for Sifo Dyas to convince the Council of his visions – and the solutions. Although he was on the Council, he knew that certain members, including Master Yoda, believed his approach too radical. Simply because he would go further than other Jedi in order to get results. There was little doubt in his mind the Republic’s main forces would have returned from Mandalore before he had convinced the Council that clone troopers were necessary, to aid the Republic in a future war.  
  
A war that no one else had seen coming.


	53. Chapter 53

They had run out of food.  
  
The rains hadn’t stopped. It was getting harder to go out and gather things to eat. Qui-Gon tried, but the area around their cave was flooded, and the waters were dangerously fast. It would be all too easy for Obi-Wan or Satine to get caught in the rapids. Even Qui-Gon would be at risk if he stepped foot into it.  
  
It was difficult to enjoy each other’s company. Little things had become annoying; the sound of Obi-Wan’s whittling; Qui-Gon’s humming; Satine and Obi-Wan’s snoring. Actually, Qui-Gon snored as well, but he slept closer to the cave entrance and the sound was drowned out by the torrential rain. It had been a long few days since they’d had a proper conversation. It was one thing to be living in a cave together with the opportunity to leave. It was a whole other thing to be stuck in a cave together without being able to take a break.  
  
Satine and Obi-Wan were at each other’s throats again, and there was nothing he could do to mediate it. They were worse than they’d been on the ship – Qui-Gon could tell that this wasn’t simply childish bickering. He could sense that Obi-Wan was frustrated, so he sat down to talk with him.  
  
“I don’t like not being able to do anything,” he’d said. “It’s awful.”  
  
“So you’re taking it out on Satine?”  
  
Obi-Wan had pouted at that, and stopped talking to Qui-Gon.  
  
Satine was still worried about Mandalore. Because Obi-Wan was short-tempered with her, she responded in kind. Qui-Gon had never had to concentrate so hard on keeping his own frustration in check, not even as a Padawan. Dooku had been a patient teacher, but still, looking back at his apprenticeship, Qui-Gon often remembered the more embarrassing moments of his teenage years. At least his memories gave him some perspective into Obi-Wan’s mind. Satine, however, refused to talk to Qui-Gon any more than she had about her problems, and he couldn’t do anything to help her.  
  
That night they huddled miserably around the fire, using the last of their kindling. Qui-Gon knew he’d have to go out and collect food and kindling the next day, and all he could do was hope the rains subsided a little so he could so that safely. He was counting his blessings that the rain would keep the bounty hunters away, if they were still on Draboon.


	54. Chapter 54

The Nightsister was miserable. She still hadn’t heard back from Bane or the other bounty hunters, and it hadn’t stopped raining. A few times she’d considered leaving, but she had a reputation to uphold. The Jedi weren’t going anywhere, and neither was she.  
  
Shadra had found a better hiding place than the tree hollow. She’d been forced to, once the floods had started. Her hiding place was close enough to the cave that she could keep an eye on her prey, and high enough that it was reasonably dry. She was hiding in an old, tall tree, and she’d managed to throw together a shelter from the broad leaves and twine.  
  
It was the worst mission she had ever been on. She wished Cad Bane would have the decency to contact her and tell her when they’d be back.  
  
She didn’t have to wait long.


	55. Chapter 55

The bounty hunters left Mandalore much happier than they had arrived. They had been given some of the best equipment that the Death Watch could afford to give them. New weapons, a new ship, and good supply of food, too. They had even outfitted Dragoneye with a cybernetic arm, to replace the one the Jedi had sliced off. Dragoneye tested it out by crushing a Mandalorian’s helmet. When the warrior had tried to complain, Sing had said, “You’re lucky it wasn’t your head.”  
  
Looking at the fragments of the helmet in Dragoneye’s new hand, the Mandalorian had agreed, and backed away slowly.  
  
Not long after acquiring their supplies, the bounty hunters left. When they were in orbit around Draboon, Sing tried to contact the Nightsister. The comm didn’t connect.  
  
“That’s not a good sign,” said Bane.  
  
Dragoneye made some noises in Shyriiwook, pointing out the storm down below.  
  
“He’s right,” said Sing. “Communications might be blocked by the electricity in the atmosphere.”  
  
Bane sighed. “That’s gonna make landing tricky,” he said.  
  
Sing looked at the scanners on the ship’s console. “The whole planet can’t be covered in the storm,” she said. “We’ll find somewhere to land and try to contact our friend once we’re on the surface.”  
  
“Sounds like a plan,” Bane responded.


	56. Chapter 56

Qui-Gon left the cave once the sun had risen. It was still raining, and Qui-Gon wrapped himself in his cloak, pulling his hood up over his head. It provided scant protection, but it was all he had.  
  
He tried to keep to high ground, but most of the earth had turned to mud, and he struggled along as he walked, his feet sinking into the ground. Grumbling to himself, Qui-Gon made his way to the cover of the trees, where he hoped to find something to eat. In the few minutes he’d been in the rain, his cloak had soaked through, and his mood had dropped from almost optimistic to downright sour.  
  
With the ground cover of leaves, roots, branches and rocks beneath the trees, Qui-Gon found it easier to walk. He knew he wasn’t going to find any dry wood to burn, but thought he’d gather as much as he could anyway. It would dry out, hopefully, in the cave.  
  
The sun shone brightly despite the rain, and soon Qui-Gon was regretting his heavy cloak. It was still warm, too warm, and the air was sticky. He was overheating, but refused to stop to take his cloak off. He hated leaving Satine and Obi-Wan alone. Satine had been asleep when he’d left the cave, but Obi-Wan had woken before sunrise. He had offered to come with Qui-Gon, but Qui-Gon had declined.  
  
“You’ll need to tell Satine where I’ve gone,” he said.  
  
Obi-Wan had glanced at her sleeping form, and sighed. “Okay.”  
  
Now, Qui-Gon regretted not bringing them both with him. A sense of fear was rising in him, completely contradictory to the beautiful day. Vibrant green leaves grew in all layers of the forest, from small, grounded plants to the tall, ancient trees that touched the sky. The sun fell in dappled yellow light that only touched the forest floor in certain places, creating a greenish glow through the rest of the forest. The rain had caused the forest to smell fresh and alive.  
  
It would be nice to come back to Draboon, he thought. Once they were free of the bounty hunters, and once Mandalore was secure, he could to come back just to visit. Maybe he would bring Obi-Wan, if the boy wanted to come, too. Considering his experience with the planet, it was likely Obi-Wan would turn down the offer.


	57. Chapter 57

Obi-Wan inched closer to Satine. “What are you working on?” he asked.  
  
She looked up at him, and smiled. He felt himself blush, and hoped that she wouldn’t notice.  
  
“I don’t actually know,” she said. “I just need to keep my hands occupied, or my mind starts to wander.” She sighed, putting her weaving aside. “And then I start to think of Mandalore, and I start to worry, and it all gets too much. There’s nothing I can do, from here. I want to go home, but I know that I’d likely be walking headfirst into my own death.”  
  
Obi-Wan tilted his head to one side, and said, “I think it’s brave.”  
  
Satine looked at him, raising her eyebrows in askance.  
  
“That you want to go back, and fight for your planet. I think that’s brave.”  
  
Satine smiled, and looked at her hands. “I think it’s foolhardy,” she said. “And hypocritical. If peace is won through strength of arms, if it is won through bloodshed and war, is it truly peace?”  
  
Obi-Wan frowned, his mouth crooked as he thought about what she had said. “I don’t know,” he said. “Master Qui-Gon says the Jedi are supposed to be peacekeepers, but he also says we train as warriors. He’s said that fighting should be the last resort, but I’ve had to fight a lot of people anyway.”  
  
“Maybe you should question him about it,” Satine suggested.  
  
Obi-Wan’s frown grew deeper, and he said, “But that would be disrespectful.”  
  
“Maybe,” said Satine. “But Qui-Gon seems to me a reasonable man. I think he would be willing to talk things through with you, if you gave him the chance.”  
  
“If I gave him the chance?” Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow. “Satine, I don’t know…”  
  
“It’s worth a try, isn’t it?” she asked. “You obviously have some questions about your Jedi Order. Maybe Qui-Gon has the answers. Or maybe he can point you to someone who does. Don’t you think it could be worth it?”  
  
“I… suppose,” said Obi-Wan.  
  
Satine smiled. “May I see what you’ve been working on?” she asked. Obi-Wan held his latest carving in a fisted hand, and had planned on burning it if Qui-Gon returned with more firewood. “You don’t have to show me, but I would like to see.”  
  
Obi-Wan sat quietly as he considered this. He processed most things quietly, although if he lost his temper there was nothing quiet about it. This, however, was something he’d considered for a while.  
  
“I… guess,” he said. Opening his hand, he showed Satine the carving he had been working on. It was a rough, slightly ugly carving that looked sort of like a monkey.  
  
“Oh,” said Satine. “It’s a Beek monkey?”  
  
Obi-Wan couldn’t stop the smile that spread across his face. “Yeah,” he said. “You can tell?”  
  
Satine nodded, and touched the carving with one delicate finger. “If you refined it some more it could look realistic,” she said. “I think you’ve got a knack for this, Obi-Wan.”  
  
His smile turned into a grin, and he looked away from Satine. “You think so?”  
  
“Yes,” said Satine. She closed his fingers around his carving, and pushed his hand away gently. Her hands were cold, but the touch of her skin on his warmed him. He pulled away from her. She frowned. “Are you okay?” she asked.  
  
Obi-Wan nodded sharply, but didn’t say anything. Hesitantly, Satine reached out and put on hand on his shoulder. She felt him tense slightly, but he didn’t move away.  
  
“Are you worried about Qui-Gon?” she asked.  
  
Obi-Wan shook his head. “He can take care of himself,” he said.  
  
“Then what’s wrong? Come on, Obi-Wan. We’ve known each other nearly a year, now. You know you can talk to me.”  
  
Obi-Wan sighed. “No,” he said. “I mean. Thank you, but I can’t.”  
  
Satine took her hand away. Looking down into her lap, she said, “Look, I know we fight sometimes, but I do like you. You’re fun and clever, and when we don’t argue it’s nice talking to you. And… I’ve been stressed, and we’ve been stuck in this bloody cave and it’s been just the three of us so no wonder we’ve fought.”  
  
Satine paused, to allow Obi-Wan time to answer, but he remained silent.  
  
“I just… I’m scared a lot, Obi-Wan, and I don’t know how to handle it because I can’t do anything about it.” Satine put her head in her hands and sighed. “I’m scared everyone I love will be dead when I return home. I’m scared the Republic won’t send help and I will never return to Mandalore. I don’t want to die on this planet.”  
  
Obi-Wan reached out to her, and took her hand in his.  
  
“I’m sorry,” he said.  
  
“What about you?” Satine asked, breathing deeply to keep her voice from shaking. “Aren’t you afraid?”  
  
He shrugged. “I don’t know,” he said. “I don’t think so. I don’t want to be.”  
  
“But you can’t help it if you are,” Satine said. “You can’t stop yourself from being afraid just because you don’t want to be.”  
  
Obi-Wan scowled. “I wish I could,” he said. “It would make things easier. If you’re afraid you make stupid decisions, or act in anger, and those aren’t things Jedi should do.”  
  
“So you do feel fear?”  
  
“I suppose,” he said. Then he nodded. “Yeah,” he said. “I do. I’m pretty scared right now. I’ve never been hunted before. And I’m scared… I’m scared, too, because I wanted to kill that bounty hunter. The one with red hair. I… let her go because Master Qui-Gon told me to. I shouldn’t want things like that. I _don’t_ want things like that. I felt that way because she made me feel afraid, and I wanted her to be afraid, too.”  
  
Satine squeezed his hand, and moved closer to him. He shuffled closer, too, and rested his head on her shoulder. Satine let go of his hand and put her arm around his shoulders. Leaning her head against the wall of the cave, she closed her eyes. She hadn’t expected to feel so much for the Jedi boy. He wasn’t much younger than she was, and he was handsome. Satine wasn’t sure she’d ever felt this way about a boy before, but she knew what she was feeling.  
  
“Are you okay, now?” she asked.  
  
“I think so,” he said. “I feel… better, when we’re not arguing. I like it when we can talk like this. And…”  
  
Satine let the pause drag on as she waited to hear what he would say. But he didn’t continue. She waited a moment longer, then said, “And?”  
  
He shook his head. “Nothing,” he said. “I just like spending time with you, like this. It’s bad, what’s happening to your system, but if none of this had happened we wouldn’t have met, would we?”  
  
Satine smiled, feeling heat creep into her face. She wasn’t sure if he was saying what she thought he was saying, or if it was wishful thinking. “No,” she said. “I suppose we wouldn’t have.”  
  
“So there’s a silver lining,” Obi-Wan said, quietly.  
  
“Yes,” said Satine. “I suppose there is.”


	58. Chapter 58

Qui-Gon had been away for over half the day, but he still hadn’t found anything edible. He was growing irritated, but trying his best not to let the irritation turn to anger. It wouldn’t help if he got angry.  
  
Yet he was distracted, and the Wookie was able to take him by surprise. Soaking, and smelling of wet fur, Dragoneye knocked Qui-Gon to the ground with one swipe of his hand. Qui-Gon fell hard, his head bouncing off a tree root, but he jumped back up quickly, activating his lightsaber and grounding his feet.  
  
“Where did you come from?” he asked. “I thought you and your friends had left.”  
  
The Wookie laughed, and Qui-Gon felt the tip of a blaster press against the small of his back.  
  
“I’d put down your weapon, if I were you.” He recognised the voice of Aurra Sing. “Or you might find it a little harder to walk.”  
  
Qui-Gon took a second to think. He knew the bounty hunter had a quick trigger finger and almost perfect aim. He also knew there were three other bounty hunters unaccounted for. The blaster pressed harder into his back, and he deactivated his saber, clipping it to his belt. Then Qui-Gon put his hands in the air in a gesture of surrender.  
  
Aurra didn’t say a word, but fired her blaster. Qui-Gon, expecting this, had moved out of the way a fraction of a second before. The bolt missed him by centimetres, hitting Dragoneye in the stomach. Qui-Gon drew his lightsaber, and clove Aurra’s blaster in two. Kicking off a nearby tree, he launched himself into Dragoneye, knocking the Wookie flat. With two swift movements, he disarmed the Wookie. Stepping away from Dragoneye, he faced Aurra, lightsaber held parallel to his chest, a defensive Soresu stance.  
  
“Where are the rest of you?” he asked.  
  
Aurra’s lip curved upwards, and she crossed her arms.  
  
“Tell me, or suffer the same fate as your Wookie companion.”  
  
“You know where they are,” said Aurra.  
  
Qui-Gon clenched his teeth, and charged her, knocking her out of the way with the Force. He had to make it to the cave before the bounty hunters.


	59. Chapter 59

Obi-Wan leapt to his feet in a panic.  
  
“What’s wrong?” Satine asked, looking up at him.  
  
“The bounty hunters,” he said. “They’re coming for us.”  
  
“They’re already here.”  
  
In the mouth of the cave stood the Dathomiri, hands on her hips, smiling. Obi-Wan’s hand moved to his lightsaber, and Satine scrambled to her feet. Obi-Wan put a hand in front of her protectively.  
  
“You think you can save her, child?” the Dathomiri taunted.  
  
Obi-Wan activated his lightsaber. “Yeah,” he said. “I do.”  
  
The Dathomiri reached under her cloak and drew her own lightsaber. She activated it, and the red of the blade illuminated her face in a terrifying light. She grinned, and Obi-Wan felt a chill run through his body.  
  
“Are you sure?” she asked.  
  
Satine couldn’t run. The Dathomiri was blocking the entrance.  
  
“You don’t have to do this,” she whispered to Obi-Wan.  
  
“What other choice do I have?” he asked. He glanced at her, his face sombre. “My job is to protect you, Duchess. And I will.”  
  
The Dathomiri started to laugh, then stalked forward, her lightsaber hanging low. Obi-Wan took a step backwards, Satine stumbling behind him. A sharp grin on her face, the Dathomiri feinted, lunging forward, then lowering her lightsaber as Obi-Wan raised his to parry. She twirled her lightsaber and took another step forward.  
  
“You’re willing to die for this girl?”  
  
Obi-Wan stepped forward, bringing his lightsaber above his head in his right hand and pointing with two fingers on his left hand at the Dathomiri. He took a deep breath in through his nose and relaxed, focusing completely on the Dathomiri. Whatever he felt, he could not feel it now.  
  
Their sabers clashed in sparks of red and blue light as the Dathomiri brought her saber down on him. She put her weight behind the blow, and Obi-Wan grimaced. She struck at him again, again, and again, swinging at his head, his hip, his leg. He managed to block each one, but with each blow panic grew in him. She lunged at him and he barely managed to parry, pushing her saber out of the way and kicking her. He enhanced the kick with the Force, knocking the Dathomiri to the ground, and he beckoned to Satine.  
  
“Come on!” he shouted.  
  
She grabbed his hand as she ran past, and together they fled from the cave. He saw from the corner of his eye as the Dathomiri stood back up to chase them. Obi-Wan kept his lightsaber in his hand, following Satine as she ran ahead, holding tightly to his other hand. He brought his saber up, letting go of Satine and twisting as the Dathomiri threw herself at him, lunging through the air to close the gap between them. He slid back in the mud, his knees bent as he tried to push back. He sliced at her legs, but she stepped back, blocking low then bringing her saber up to strike at his neck. He rolled backwards, then blocked as she tried to split his head in two.  
  
He swept his leg out to try and knock her off her feet, but she dodged, and he leapt to his feet, driving forward with the fury of a cornered animal. He was snarling, mud-splattered, rain-soaked, attacking the Dathomiri with his full strength and speed. Her eyes widened in shock as he unleashed upon her, the red glow of her lightsaber now lighting his face in a terrifying mask of rage. His ears buzzed as he swung his saber recklessly, driving the Dathomiri backwards, until, finally, he knocked her saber from her hand. She dropped to her knees trying to pick it up, but he kicked her in the chest, and she fell to the ground.  
  
Obi-Wan Force-pulled her lightsaber to him, and activated it. Pointing it at her, he said, “ _Leave_.”  
  
The Dathomiri scrambled to her feet and fled, looking back once over her shoulder to see Obi-Wan standing in the rain, the blue and red lightsabers glowing in his hands.  
  
He deactivated them, and clipped his to his belt, dropping the red one into the mud. Then he turned to ask Satine if she was all right.  
  
Satine was gone.


	60. Chapter 60

Satine ran through the rain, oblivious to the fact she had lost Obi-Wan. Her heart was racing, and she was sobbing. If she hadn’t thought Obi-Wan was right behind her, she would have stopped.  
  
She ran, feet pounding over the mud, breath short and gasping. When a hand grabbed her shoulder, she screamed, twisting out of the grip and kicking blindly in the direction of her attacker. She made contact with something solid, and heard a grunt, and she turned to see the Duros bounty hunter scowling at her, his hand on his stomach.  
  
“You’re gonna pay for that, girl,” he said, advancing on her.  
  
Satine didn’t hesitate – she kicked him again, but this time he was ready. He stepped aside and grabbed her ankle, using the momentum of her kick to pull her past him. She slammed into the ground, her hands sinking into the mud. Gritting her teeth, she got to her feet, and balled her fists.  
  
“I’m not afraid of you,” she said.  
  
The Duros sneered, and pulled a club from his belt. As he pressed a button on the handle, Satine saw the blue sparks of electricity run up the black club. She looked at it, then at the Duros, then did the only sensible thing she could think of.  
  
She ran.  
v She could almost hear the Duros chasing her, but it was hard to hear anything over the rain and her own wild heartbeat. Her eyes cast about for a way to escape, but she couldn’t see anything but the flooding waters and muddy ground. It was getting dark, too. There was a chance she could use that to her advantage, but first she had to find some sort of cover. She wasn’t far from the forest, and without better options, she headed that way.  
  
Once she reached the forest, Satine had to focus, dodging branches and tree roots, trying to keep herself upright while she ran, as well as keeping an eye out for any other bounty hunters that were chasing her. It wouldn’t do to think of what could have happened to Qui-Gon. It wouldn’t help to worry about why Obi-Wan hadn’t been behind her.  
  
Satine kept imagining the sensation of the club hitting her, of electricity coursing through her body. She tried to focus on the forest, tried to look for somewhere to hide, tried not to look over her shoulder to see if she was still being chased.  
  
Eventually, she had to stop. Her legs were trembling, her lungs screaming, and her head pounding. The Duros was nowhere to be seen. Satine took a moment to look around. She was in a part of the rainforest she hadn’t been before. There was a smell of decay hanging in the air, but she couldn’t see any reason for it. Taking a deep breath in, Satine tried to see if there was any sort of shelter, but couldn’t find anything. Though her legs ached, she steeled herself, and walked on.  
  
Eventually, she came to a ravine. The edge had crumbled, and she could see the remains of a landslide at the bottom. There was no way to cross, and she didn’t want to go back the way she had come. Crouching down, Satine tried to see if there was a way she could safely reach the bottom.  
  
“Satine?”  
  
The shout came through the trees, and she leapt to her feet, turning on the spot to see where it had come from.  
  
“Satine!”  
  
She wasn’t sure if it was Obi-Wan’s voice, and didn’t want to risk calling out. She decided to find a place where she could hide, and wait.


	61. Chapter 61

Obi-Wan had chased after Satine once the Dathomiri fled. Her energy was still clear in the Force, and she was afraid, which made it easier for him to track her. He reached the place where she’d faced the Duros bounty hunter, but other than their tangled Force-signatures, there was no sign of either of them. Something had happened, something that had rasied Satine’s fear. From the looks of things, she had fled. The bounty hunter had followed.  
  
Obi-Wan closed his eyes and took a deep breath in. Then, he turned in the direction the Duchess had gone, and ran off, following her trail.  
  
He was running as fast as he could when he came upon the Duros bounty hunter. The bounty hunter reacted with a shot from his blaster, but missed Obi-Wan by inches. Before he could do anything else, Obi-Wan Force-pushed him into a tree. Then Obi-Wan ran after Satine.


	62. Chapter 62

Obi-Wan came into view, looking worse for wear, and shouting her name. She jumped to her feet and ran over to him, throwing her arms around him in her excitement.  
  
“I thought you were dead!” she cried, taking his face in her hands and kissing him on the cheek.  
  
He grinned at her, although he looked more dazed than happy, and said, “Are you all right?”  
  
Satine nodded, taking her hands from his face to hug him again. She picked him up, nearly crushing his ribs. He endured the hug for a moment, then said, “Could you put me down?”  
  
She let go, and he brushed himself off before saying, “We have to keep moving. That bounty hunter might still be following us. And I don’t know where Master Qui-Gon is.”  
  
Obi-Wan’s bottom lip quivered as he said that, but he refused to cry. He hadn’t felt Qui-Gon’s death in the Force, and he was probably worrying over nothing. “But, I have to protect you before anything else. So we have to get somewhere safe, if we can.”  
  
“I was thinking of crossing the ravine,” said Satine, pointing across the chasm. “At least then we would be able to put some distance between ourselves and the bounty hunters.”  
  
Obi-Wan nodded. He peered over the edge of the cliff, and saw that, at the bottom of the ravine, there was a fast-flowing river. “I don’t know how we can,” he said. Frowning, he said, “I could jump. But not that far. And I don’t know how you could get across.”  
  
“Couldn’t you carry me? When you jump?”  
  
Obi-Wan shook his head, still frowning. “I’ve never done that before. I don’t want to risk dropping you in the river.”  
  
Satine pursed her lips and crossed her arms, thinking. “Well, we can walk until we find somewhere to cross.”


	63. Chapter 63

Qui-Gon arrived at the cave far too late. Satine and Obi-Wan were gone. There was evidence of a fight, a strong feeling of terror in the air. He took a deep breath in and tried to remember what Tholme had taught him about tracking.  
  
He could faintly sense Obi-Wan’s Force-signature, but it was fading. He wasn’t sure how much time had passed since his Padawan and the Duchess had fled, and the rain had washed away their tracks.  
  
Qui-Gon sat down, crossing his legs and putting the palms of his hands on his knees. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath in and tried to focus. There was a chance he could find Obi-Wan. This was better than running off blind into the dusk.  
  
Breathing deeply, in his lower lungs, Qui-Gon reached out with his senses. Faintly, he could sense the Wookie’s fury and pain. Aurra Sing was by his side. The Duros was furious, and beyond him – there. Obi-Wan. With Satine.  
  
Getting to his feet, Qui-Gon looked out into the rain. Night had fallen. He was tired. They were safe. Would it be better if he took the chance to rest, or should he push himself to find them before they met more trouble?  
  
No. His duty was to the Duchess, and Obi-Wan was his responsibility. Steeling himself, he once again braved the torrential rains.


	64. Chapter 64

Obi-Wan and Satine trudged along through the mud. Obi-Wan was anxiously alert for any sign of the bounty hunters, and Satine was keeping an eye out for a way to cross the ravine. They hadn’t found any way to cross, and they hadn’t found shelter. Both of them were soaked to the bone. At least it wasn’t cold. Tropical rain was both a curse and a blessing.  
  
They hadn’t spoken since their reunion. They were both exhausted. Obi-Wan was struggling to keep his eyes open. Yet he had to push on. If they stopped, they would be in more danger than they already were.  
  
The rain had washed most of the mud off the both of them, but he couldn’t take comfort from that. All he wanted to do was curl up on the ground and sleep. The anger from his encounter with the Dathomiri had faded, and all he was left with a vague sense of fear. He was afraid for his Master, afraid for Satine, afraid for himself. On top of that, he felt guilty for feeling afraid. It was a lot to deal with, and he wanted to sit down and cry, but he knew that if he stopped now he probably wouldn’t get back up.  
  
He jumped a little as Satine touched his hand. When he looked at her, she raised her eyebrows. Exhaustion was clear in her eyes, and she looked like she wanted to cry, too. She took his hand in hers, and they kept walking, taking comfort in each other’s presence.


	65. Chapter 65

Cad Bane got to his feet, but he was too late to catch the boy. He scowled, brushing himself off, and picked his hat off the ground. Putting it back on, he scanned the area. No sign of the boy. With an irritated sigh, he pressed a button on his wrist comm, and waited.  
  
“… is it?” Aurra Sing’s voice crackled through the static.  
  
“Sing,” he said. “I’ve lost the boy.”  
  
There was a moment where all Bane could hear was the rain. Then, “Fuck!”  
  
“Have you heard from the Nightsister?”  
  
“No,” Sing replied. “I can’t… with her. She’s …appeared.”  
  
“You’re breaking up,” said Bane. “I’ll meet you back at the ship.”  
  
“Dragon…ly injured,” said Sing. “The Jedi… both his arms… lost him.”  
  
“I’ll meet you back at the ship,” Bane repeated, then hung up.  
  
With that, he walked through the mud back to his speeder, and set off. He wasn’t sure exactly what Aurra had said about the Wookie, and he hoped that Dragoneye wasn’t dead. Losing him would be a huge blow to the operation, and they were already struggling. Three experts in Jedi hunting, and they hadn’t been able to catch any Jedi, let alone their main bounty.  
  
Gritting his teeth, he banished the unhelpful thoughts. It wasn’t easy. Most jobs weren’t. The pay was good, and still enticing. Now that Teeana had fled, there were more credits for the rest of them. At this point, he thought, the benefits still outweighed the risks.  
  
He wondered how much longer that would be true.


	66. Chapter 66

Dragoneye passed out before Aurra got him back to the ship. She set the med-droids on him. Then she rummaged through the cupboards to find something to treat her own wounds.  
  
Aurra was furious. Things had gone badly – no, worse than that. Everything was falling to pieces and she couldn’t do a thing about it. They would fail this mission, and lose their bounty. One of the biggest pay-outs she’d expected in months and she wouldn’t get a single credit. She wanted to scream. She wanted to kill Qui-Gon.  
  
No, she wanted to make him suffer. She could kill the boy in front of him, but first she’d have to catch him. The bastard son of a Sarlaac would get what was coming to him, if she could just get her hands on him.  
  
Aurra grimaced. Dragoneye had twice gotten his hands on the Jedi, and lost both his arms. She knew that if he lived he would want revenge. That wasn’t how bounty hunters operated, but Qui-Gon was testing her patience.  
  
Bane arrived at the ship a little while after them, and met with Aurra in the cockpit.  
  
“What’s happened to Dragoneye?” he asked. “Is he dead?”  
  
Aurra shook her head. “Not yet,” she said. “But he might be soon. The kriffing Jedi dismembered him.”  
  
Bane’s eyes widened in shock, and he swore emphatically in Durese. “And the Nightsister?” he asked.  
  
“Haven’t heard from her,” Aurra replied, her lip twitching in a snarl. “Either she’s dead or a coward.”  
  
“I lost the girl,” Bane said. He scowled. “It’s all gone to shit.”  
  
Aurra put a hand on his shoulder. “We can salvage this,” she said. “They’re separated at the moment, right?”  
  
Bane nodded.  
  
“We use that to our advantage. We leave now, go after the girl. Hope that the Jedi haven’t found her yet. “  
  
Aurra Sing loaded her rifle, and Bane checked his pistols. They looked at one another, both of them well aware they were outmatched. Then they set off, to hunt down the Duchess of Mandalore once again.


	67. Chapter 67

Obi-Wan stumbled, and would have fallen into the ravine if Satine hadn’t been holding his hand. He shook his head, to try and keep himself awake.  
  
“We need to rest,” Satine said.  
  
“No,” Obi-Wan replied. “We’re not safe.”  
  
“Obi-Wan,” she spoke gently, but there was a hard edge to her tone. “ _I_ need to rest.”  
  
He looked at her groggily, saw the look on her face, and relented. “Okay,” he said. “Okay.”  
  
They had no proper shelter, so they simply curled up in the bracken, trying to make themselves comfortable. Obi-Wan spread his cloak over the leaf litter, to keep the worst of the mud off them, and they lay down side by side.  
  
He fell asleep quickly. Satine noticed the difference between his waking face – the worried, tired face of a man beyond Obi-Wan’s years – and his sleeping face. Obi-Wan looked much more peaceful asleep. She watched him for a moment, then sighed, wondering how she looked. Probably as weary. Probably older than her years. Closing her eyes, she took a shaky breath in, and tried to sleep.


	68. Chapter 68

When they woke, it had stopped raining. The sun shone hot and bright above. Although it wasn’t dry, it was nice to be free of the rain. Obi-Wan stood, stretching, his back cracking as he leaned backwards. Satine sat up, putting her face in her hands and sighing.  
  
“Well,” she said. “At least we got some sleep.”  
  
He nodded, running a hand through his hair. It had grown long since they’d gotten to Draboon. He’d had to tie most of it back. His ponytail was longer than he wanted, and he knew as soon as they got back to Coruscant he’d be getting a haircut.  
  
“Come on,” he said, holding out a hand. Helping her to her feet, he added, “We should get going.”  
  
Obi-Wan peeled his cloak off the ground, then rolled it up in a bundle to carry it under his arm. His stomach rumbled, and he sighed.  
  
“We should find something to eat, too,” he said.  
  
Satine nodded. They started off again, following the. Obi-Wan’s feet ached, and his back was bruised from where he’d slept on a rock. His head was throbbing. He wasn’t sure if it was from normal fatigue or overusing the Force.  
  
Satine looked almost as tired as he felt. Yet she pressed on, her lips pressed in a thin line, a slight frown on her face. She hadn’t held his hand that day. He knew why it bothered him. He wished he didn’t know.  
  
She looked to be deep in thought, so he kept his mouth shut.  
  
They had been walking for nearly two hours when she spoke up.  
  
“Do you hear that?”  
  
Obi-Wan looked around, and shook his head.  
  
“It sounds like a speeder,” she said, stopping. “Maybe it’s Qui-Gon.”  
  
The Duros burst through the trees, followed by the woman with red hair. Obi-Wan grabbed his lightsaber, but it was blasted from his hand almost instantly. He couldn’t watch as it tumbled into the ravine, dodging the next shot and pushing Satine out of the way. She stumbled, but held her ground.  
  
“No weapon, kid,” said the Duros. “What are you going to do now?”  
  
Satine grabbed Obi-Wan’s hand, looking at him, her face eerily calm. She flicked her eyes to the ravine, then back to him. He understood.  
  
They took a step back together. The Duros leapt off his speeder, holding his blaster low. “What are you doing?” he asked.  
  
Obi-wan glanced at Satine, and she nodded.  
  
Then, they turned, and leapt into the ravine.


	69. Chapter 69

The first part of the fall was controlled, sliding down the mud after Obi-Wan’s lightsaber. As they picked up speed, Obi-Wan struggled to keep himself upright. He held tight to Satine’s hand, focusing on the Force to try and keep them balanced. He could hear the bounty hunters coming after them – the slope wasn’t sheer enough to deter speeders.  
  
The river was their only chance.  
  
They plunged into the filthy, warm water and went under. It was deeper than Obi-Wan had expected, and he felt Satine tighten her grip on his hand. Paddling wildly, Obi-wan struggled to the surface. Satine did the same, taking a gasping breath of air as she breached. They had been swept downstream, the bounty hunters growing smaller with each second.  
  
Obi-Wan could hear nothing over the roar of the river. He was using all his energy to keep himself afloat, and keep hold of Satine. Farther downstream he could see his lightsaber, and he groaned. Qui-Gon was always telling him that his lightsaber was his life. Now he’d lost it, like he’d lost Qui-Gon.  
  
Close to drowning, terrified and soaked and exhausted, Obi-Wan started to cry.


	70. Chapter 70

Qui-Gon arrived at the ravine after Obi-Wan and Satine had jumped into the river, after Cad Bane and Aurra Sing had sped after them. He stood at the edge of the chasm, looking for any sign of his apprentice. There were footprints at the edge of the ravine, and long gouges in the mud of the slope.  
  
He swore under his breath.  
  
There were no tracks on the other side of the ravine, and Qui-Gon had to assume that they had fallen into the river. So that would mean they were heading in the opposite direction.  
  
He set off following the river. He hoped that Obi-Wan and Satine would have the presence of mind to be careful. The rapids carried debris – uprooted trees, rocks, branches, and other filth. If they didn’t keep an eye out, they could hit their heads and go under, or get an injury that would get infected, or break a limb.  
  
Qui-Gon shook his head. If he thought about these things, he would get distracted. He might miss a sign that would lead him to his Padawan. For both Obi-Wan and Satine, Qui-Gon had to concentrate.


	71. Chapter 71

The speeders were fast, but the river was faster, and it wasn’t long before the bounty hunters were lagging behind.  
  
“At this rate, they’ll drown before we catch them!” Aurra shouted, pushing her speeder to its top speed. “What the fuck are we gonna do, Bane?”  
  
“We keep following them!” Bane responded. “What choice do we have? I’m not jumping in the river, and I doubt you’re gonna!”  
  
“Think of something!”  
  
“ _You_ think of something!”  
  
They both jumped as a cracking sound echoed through the air. They only just stopped their speeders in time, pulling up as a massive tree fell, groaning and crashing, to the ground. It collapsed across the ravine, vines dangling uselessly into the water. Bane and Sing watched as the boy grabbed for a vine, and held on, the Duchess clinging to his other arm.  
  
“Well, now what?” said Aurra.  
  
“We could help them up,” Bane suggested.  
  
“They jumped into that river to escape us,” Aurra replied. “I doubt they’re going to let us help.”  
  
“Then we wait, see what happens,” said Bane. “They can’t see us. We can surprise them. The boy doesn’t have his weapon, the girl won’t fight. All we have to do is grab her and we’re good.”


	72. Chapter 72

Obi-Wan’s lungs were screaming. His shoulders were popping with effort, but he managed to drag Satine against the pull of the river until she was able to wind one of the vines around her wrist.  
  
“I’ll climb up,” he shouted. “Then pull you up after me.”  
  
She nodded breathlessly.  
  
One hand over the other, Obi-Wan pulled himself up the vine. He shut his eyes, terrified that the vine would snap and he’d be sent hurtling back into the river. When he was high enough, beneath the trunk of the tree, he tied the vine around his legs and waist. Then he leaned forward, reaching out for the vine Satine was clinging to. Slowly, grunting with the effort, Obi-Wan pulled her towards him. He tried not to think about the distance between them and the river. He tried not to think about what would happen if he dropped her. He tried not to think at all.  
  
Satine looked at him gratefully as he helped her grab the tree trunk. She hauled herself up, and he followed. Satine stayed low as she crossed the ravine, heading towards the opposite side of the river. Obi-Wan followed, crawling along the trunk, pretending he was on solid ground. He wanted to close his eyes, but didn’t want to risk crawling blindly. So he inched along after Satine and saw her disappear behind the top of the tree.  
  
The branches scratched his face and hands as he dropped to the ground. Satine was in front of him, and put her hand on his shoulder. She looked into his eyes.  
  
“Can you push the tree?” she asked.  
  
He stared at her, uncomprehending.  
  
“The tree,” she repeated. “Can you push it so no one can follow us?”  
  
“I don’t know,” he said. He could hear the exhaustion in his voice. “I can try.”  
  
They stood back a fair distance from the tree. He concentrated, his hands out in front of him as he tried to move the tree with the Force. The tree shifted, but didn’t fall.  
  
“Obi-Wan,” there was a warning tone in Satine’s voice, and he looked across the ravine to see the two bounty hunters climbing past the tree’s roots. He took a deep breath, and concentrated.  
  
The tree shuddered.  
  
The bounty hunters froze.  
  
Obi-Wan tensed his muscles, and made a shooing gesture. With a groan, the tree slid backwards, branches snapping, gouging a furrow into the side of the ravine. The bounty hunters leapt backwards off the tree before they could go down with it.  
  
Satine grabbed Obi-Wan, kissing him on the cheek before taking hold of his wrist and running. Where she had kissed him, Obi-Wan’s face felt warm, and he knew he was smiling. He glanced back at the bounty hunters.  
  
The woman unslung her rifle from her back, and took careful aim. Eyes widening, Obi-Wan realised what she had planned. Almost too late, he knocked Satine to the ground. The blaster bolt scraped the top of his head, burning his hair and skin. There was no time to check the damage, as he scrambled to his feet and helped Satine up. They didn’t speak as they bolted to the cover of the trees, tears streaming down Obi-Wan’s face. Satine’s jaw was a hard line as she held tightly to his hand, her heart thudding erratically.  
  
Another shot rang out, hitting a tree near them as they entered cover. It left a smoking hole in the bark. Distantly, Obi-Wan heard the bounty hunter swear. Blood pounded in his ears as he struggled not to fall into blind panic – he had almost died, _he had almost died_. Sobs caught in his throat as he tried to breathe, run, and cry at the same time.  
  
They ran blindly through the forest, Obi-Wan following Satine closely. He had never been more afraid.


	73. Chapter 73

Bane threw his pistol to the ground, swearing creatively. Aurra watched him stomp about, cussing out the Jedi and Duchess with increasingly colourful language. He kicked a rock, but it was stuck in the ground and he ended up stubbing his toes. Aurra put her hands on her hips, and regarded him with one eyebrow raised.  
  
“Are you done?” she asked.  
  
He glared at her.  
  
She gestured at the tree. “We can still cross,” she said. “We’ll just have to climb up the other side.”  
  
“And if we fall into the ravine? Into the river? What would we do?”  
  
Aurra smiled. “We don’t,” she said. He raised an eyebrow at her. “If we don’t fall into the river, we don’t have to deal with falling into the river.”  
  
Cad Bane sighed. If Duros could roll their eyes, he’d have done so. “Have I ever told you how much I admire your planning skills?” he grumbled.  
  
“You can criticise me later,” Sing replied, as she hopped onto the massive tree.  
  
Holding her arms out for balance, she walked carefully across the trunk. With a sigh, Cad Bane followed her. The Jedi and the Duchess had already disappeared out of their sight, but now the rains had stopped they could track their footprints. Providing their prey stayed on the ground. He didn’t think they were smart enough to go higher, into the trees, and he had to assume that they thought the Jango Jumper was still after them. It was never good to assume things about your prey. He had to think they would be able to get the jump on him, and prepare for the worst. He’d lost count of the times he’d been beaten by them, and his patience was wearing thin.  
  
Bane grumbled to himself the entire crossing, and when he reached the muddy slope, he glared up at Sing, who was halfway up the cliff side. With a chagrined sigh, Bane started to climb after her.  
  
She reached the top long before he did, and stood, looking down on him with a superior smile on her face.  
  
“Duros weren’t made for this,” he complained, loud enough for her to hear.  
  
Sing laughed. “Looks like you’re not very _dur-able_ ,” she said. Bane clenched his teeth, and reminded himself he wasn’t allowed to kill other bounty hunters because they made bad jokes. Really, really bad jokes, in Aurra’s case.  
  
When he reached the top she helped him up, and instead of thanking her he scowled. “Never make jokes in front of me again,” he warned. She grinned.  
  
“Come on,” she said, turning her back on him. “Our prey’s getting away.”


	74. Chapter 74

Days passed. Obi-Wan could sense that they were only keeping ahead of the bounty hunters by a hair’s breadth. He and Satine were at breaking point. More than once, Obi-Wan had cried himself to sleep. Satine had done the same. Both of them were too proud to ask for comfort if it wasn’t offered. Yet some days they walked hand in hand, silently. There was little to talk of, so they barely spoke Satine didn’t want to speak of her family, and Obi-Wan didn’t want to speak of the Jedi.  
  
She had told him other things about herself. About her friends, and her crush on La Kai. He had suppressed a pang of jealousy at that. Satine had talked about her work with the youth groups of Mandalore and Kalevala, of her schooling and companions, of the politics she had been involved in from a young age. Obi-Wan had come to see that Satine, while young to rule a star system, was more than capable.  
  
He didn’t have much to tell her. He spoke a little of his training, and a lot of his Master, and his speculations on Shmi Skywalker’s relationship with Qui-Gon. Satine had heard of Shmi, the Senator who had liberated Tatooine from slavers and criminals.  
  
Most people had heard of the war on Tatooine. By now, Shmi was known across the galaxy. Some people looked up to her, some people hated her, and some people thought she was a foolish idealist. Of course, there were people who had no opinion. Satine thought she was interesting; a woman who had appeared seemingly from nowhere and successfully driven a crime family away from a planet they’d held for generations. Not to mention the fact that she’d burned down the Hutt palace on Nal Hutta. Lots of criminals wanted her dead.  
  
Satine knew how that felt.  
  
The sun was falling when Satine suggested they stop for the night. So far they had spent most nights on the forest floor, sleeping on top of Obi-Wan’s cloak. He set it out once more, on the softest part of the ground he could find, and sat next to Satine as she lay down to sleep.  
  
“I’ll keep watch,” he offered.  
  
She was too tired to argue. Lying down, she reached out to pat him on the knee. Then she closed her eyes, breathing deeply. He watched her for a moment, then looked away, scanning the trees for their followers. All he wanted was to sleep, but he had a duty to complete. He had to watch over Satine. Holding back tears, Obi-Wan reached out in the Force, but could barely sense his Master’s presence.  
  
“He’s not dead,” he whispered to himself. “He’s not dead.”  
  
  
  
Around midnight, he and Satine swapped. Obi-Wan lay down to sleep and Satine sat watch. Obi-Wan had tried to convince her that he should watch the whole night, but she had persisted, telling him off for putting his health below her safety.  
  
“You need to sleep,” she’d said. “Don’t be foolish about this. If you’re tired, you’re hardly going to be able to protect me.”  
  
She’d won the argument.  
  
Now, she sat awake, keeping her ears pricked and her eyes peeled, waiting for any abnormal sounds or movements that would indicate their hunters had caught them. She wished she was able to sense life forms in the way Obi-Wan could.  
  
She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. This was going to be a long night.


	75. Chapter 75

They had reached the edge of a bog.  
  
Obi-Wan and Satine stood in the forest, surveying the land. There was no way they could go around without the bounty hunters catching up, but it would be hard to cross. The air was thicker here, and strange sounds came from the bog, setting Obi-Wan’s nerves on edge.  
  
“What do we do?” he asked Satine quietly.  
  
“There’s a chance they won’t think we went this way,” Satine replied. She had her hand on her chin, and she looked thoughtful. “So it’s best if we cross.”  
  
“I don’t see how we can,” said Obi-Wan.  
  
She looked at him. “You don’t seem the type to mind braving the elements,” she said, a teasing smile on her face.  
  
“I’ve had enough of being wet and muddy – enough to last a lifetime.”  
  
“Maybe after this you could move to a desert planet,” Satine replied, her smile growing at the annoyed look on his face. “Come on,” she said. She started forward, not waiting to see if he would follow.  
  
Of course he followed.  
  
She mis-stepped almost instantly, sinking waist-high into the muddy waters of the bog. Obi-Wan, trying not to laugh, Force-lifted her from the bog until she was able to pull herself onto mostly dry land.  
  
Keeping most of her dignity, Satine stalked back to the forest and stripped a long branch from a tree. With that in hand, she moved back to the swamp, and tested the ground before taking a step. She walked ahead of Obi-Wan, ignoring the fact that he was still giggling at her.  
  
Her stick came in handy. The bog had many false paths, some of them deeper than the stick could reach, and it was nearly as tall as Obi-Wan. Their progress was slow, and by the time the sun was in the middle of the sky they could still see the edge of the bog.  
  
The first bugs started biting as the sun fell. Obi-Wan slapped one away, then another. Buzzing in his ears, the bugs circled him and Satine, settling on their bare skin and drinking their blood. There was nothing they could do to stave off the bugs. Speech grew difficult as the clouds of bugs grew thicker. Opening his mouth would have been a bad idea. Obi-Wan knew he’d swallow a bunch of them, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to know what that would taste like.  
  
It was dark before they found somewhere they could rest without the ground sinking underneath them. Satine was the one who found it – an outcropping of rocks scattered across this section of the swamp. Jedi didn’t believe in luck, but Obi-Wan was almost convinced.  
  
“We can rest here,” he said. “And then… I suppose we should keep going.”  
  
Satine nodded, too tired to speak. She and Obi-Wan made their way to the rocks, climbing up and flopping down onto the flattest parts. Satine clutched her stick, and closed her eyes, her head resting on the stone. Both of them were covered in muck – Obi-Wan up to his thighs, Satine up to her chest. She fell asleep almost immediately, holding her stick like it was the most important thing she possessed. Right now, Obi-Wan thought, it probably was.


	76. Chapter 76

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for description of physical injury.

Obi-Wan didn’t see the hole in the rock, and neither did Satine. They had spent the day crossing the swamp by leaping from rock to rock, and it had nearly become a game for them. That changed when Satine stepped wrong, her foot slipping into a crack. She fell with a scream, and Obi-Wan heard the crack as her leg bent the wrong way.  
  
Obi-Wan didn’t need to be a healer to know that she’d broken the bone. He rushed to her side, and took her hand in his, concentrating on siphoning the pain away from her so he could pull her free. The colour had drained from her cheeks, her skin ashen, her eyes wide and glazed over. There were tears on her face, and her mouth hung open, but she made no noise.  
  
“I’m going to pull you out,” he said, looking at her, trying desperately not to panic. “I’ll be gentle, but it’s going to hurt.”  
  
She didn’t respond. His heart was racing. It was unlikely she could die from a broken leg, but both of them were malnourished. She was in shock. He had nothing to prevent an infection, although the wounds on her skin were superficial, the bone breakage could cause sepsis in her blood. That would lead to septic shock, and that could lead to death.  
  
“Focus on the now,” he muttered to himself. He grabbed at Satine’s knee as gently as possible, then took a deep breath in. Trying to pass calm to the Duchess, he counted down from three. In a sharp, sudden movement he yanked her leg from the crevice.  
  
She howled in pain, shoving him away. She was stronger than he’d realised, and he toppled sideways, into the swamp. Climbing onto the rock, he spoke to her gently, his hands in front of him, crouching low. He spoke to her as he would have spoken to an injured animal. It seemed to work, as she let him creep closer.  
  
“We need to bind this in a splint,” he said. Gritting his teeth, he realised he’d be required to set the bone. Without any aid. There was a small chance he would set it right. If he didn’t do his best, they would either have to use nanobots or break her leg and set it again once it had healed.  
  
If he left it alone, it would be much, much worse.  
  
He took part of his tunic off to use as bandages. He snapped her stick in half, measuring it against her leg.  
  
“Here,” he gave her shorter half of stick. “Bite down on this.”  
  
She did as he said, biting down hard. Again, Obi-Wan counted down from three, then pulled her leg, moving the lower half of the break back into place.  
  
Satine fainted. It was no surprise to him – her pain was radiating in red waves through the Force. He adjusted the bone a little more, until it was as straight as he could get it, then bound the stick to her leg. It was not ideal, but it would have to do. Obi-Wan moved into a crouch, scooping Satine into his arms. Her leg stuck out awkwardly, kept straight by his makeshift splint. Keeping her as steady as he could, both physically and internally, Obi-Wan set off. Satine was heavy, but he couldn’t put her down. There was no way she’d be able to walk.  
  
His bottom lip quivered as he moved across the bog, and he started to weep. Where was Qui-Gon? Where was his Master? The man was supposed to be taking care of him, of Satine, and they had both been abandoned. When the bounty hunters caught up – and Obi-Wan had no doubt they would – he and Satine would be helpless. He didn’t have his lightsaber, and she was unable to run.  
  
Part of him was glad that Satine was unable to see him cry. Part of him knew he wouldn’t be crying if she hadn’t broken her leg.  
  
Squaring his shoulders, and adjusting Satine carefully, he continued, making his way towards the other side of the bog. Through the mist, he could see the trees, and he hoped they would soon be on solid ground.


	77. Chapter 77

Satine groaned. Opening her eyes, she looked around. There was an intense shooting pain in her leg, and the sky was moving overhead. It took her a moment to realise she was in Obi-Wan’s arms.  
  
“What happened?” she asked, touching her fingers to her forehead. “I don’t – I don’t remember. Why are you carrying me?”  
  
“You passed out,” he replied. His jaw was set and his brows furrowed. “When I set your leg. Do you remember? You broke – your leg broke.”  
  
It was coming back to her slowly. “So I can’t walk?” she asked.  
  
He shook his head. “You need to stay off your leg. You could probably walk if you leaned on me, but we’d move a lot slower. This is the best way, Satine. I’m sorry.”  
  
She frowned at him. “What are you sorry for?” she asked.  
  
Obi-Wan shook his head, sighing. “I failed you,” he said.  
  
Satine rolled her eyes. “Yeah,” she said, sarcastically. “This was your fault.” She put her arms around his neck to take some of the pressure off him. “You put that crack there, in the rock, just so you could hold me, didn’t you?”  
  
To her amusement, a blush rose in his cheeks.  
  
“Admit it!” she smiled teasingly. “You just wanted to play the hero!” With a grin, she added, “I’ve seen how you look at me.”  
  
Obi-Wan ignored her steadfastly.  
  
As Satine opened her mouth to continue teasing him, she swallowed a bug. Coughing, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “Ugh,” she said. “Bugs.”  
  
“Keep your mouth shut, then,” Obi-Wan said, not taking his eyes off the horizon. He was smiling.  
  
There was a buzzing noise in her ear. Satine sighed, and prepared herself for more bites. When the first bug landed on her, it stung more than she had anticipated. She yelped.  
  
“What’s wrong?” Obi-Wan asked, panic in his voice.  
  
“The bugs!” she said, clinging to him. “They’re venom mites! We have to get out of here!”  
  
“What’s the difference –” he started, then one stung him on the neck.  
  
Unlike the other bugs they’d encountered, venom-mite stings caused an excruciating pain. Obi-Wan had never experienced anything like it. Satine had once been told that it was like being burned with acid. She had never experienced the touch of acid, but the sting made her hope to Kad Ha’rangir that she’d never have to find out what acid felt like. Obi-Wan had no choice; he started to run, leaping from rock to rock. Landing on a more solid part of the ground he raced across the surface, barely keeping his feet out of the water.  
  
The mites were relentless, hounding Satine and Obi-Wan, stinging any patch of bare skin they could find. Pain shot up Satine’s leg and she bit her lip to keep from crying out, knowing that Obi-Wan had to keep running or they would be stung to death.  
  
Before she knew it, Obi-Wan’s feet were thudding over solid land, and Satine looked around to see that they were at the edge of the bog. Here, the ground sloped upwards. Obi-Wan climbed the hill, his expression sharp and focused. He held Satine close. They were still not clear of the venom-mites.  
  
He kept running.


	78. Chapter 78

“There’s no way,” Aurra Sing said, shaking her head. She and Cad Bane had reached the edge of the bog. “There’s no way that they went through there.”  
  
Bane knelt down on one knee, touching the ground. “Their footprints say otherwise,” he said. Then he stood to face her.  
  
“Well I’m not going in there,” she replied. “It’s probably full of leeches and biting bugs. Probably some sort of carnivore, too, that’s just waiting for a tasty meal. We’re going around.”  
  
“And if we lose them?”  
  
Aurra sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Fine,” she said. “You go through the stinking bog. I’ll go around.”  
  
“You don’t wanna get your feet dirty?” Bane grinned at her. Aurra crossed her arms. “Do you wanna catch these kids or not, Sing?”  
  
“What do you think?” she asked.  
  
“I think you’re giving up,” Bane replied. “I think all you want is to head back home and drop this job.”  
  
Aurra backhanded him across the face. He reeled backwards, his hand rising to touch the patch of skin she’d hit.  
  
“Don’t presume to know my mind, Duros,” she said, her voice full of venom. “Speak to me that way again and it will be the last thing you say.”  
  
“Well,” Bane said, rubbing his bruise. He turned his attention back to the swamp. “Do we cross or not?”  
  
“I think not,” said a voice, and they turned to see Qui-Gon Jinn standing behind them, lightsaber drawn and flickering green. “You will leave, now, or I will kill you.”  
  
Aurra laughed. “No you won’t!” she said. “Jedi live by a code, same as bounty hunters. You don’t kill unarmed sentients.”  
  
Qui-Gon smiled grimly. Stepping out of his fighting stance, he switched his saber off.  
  
“You’re right,” he said. “But I can injure you.”  
  
With a sweeping gesture, Qui-Gon pushed them both with the Force, and they toppled into the swamp. Swearing, Aurra picked herself up. Her back was coated in slime and muck. Gritting her teeth, she unslung her rifle.  
  
“You’re gonna pay for that.”  
  
Qui-Gon blocked her first shot, and while Bane was still struggling to get to his feet, Qui-Gon darted forward, slicing her rifle in two. He thrust his palm forward, knocking Aurra back again. She rolled backwards, her legs coming up over her head. Landing on her chest, she pushed herself up. Qui-Gon Force-grabbed Bane’s pistol, and pointed the blaster at the Duros. His saber he pointed at Sing.  
  
“I think I win,” he said.  
  
“Are you going to execute us?” Bane asked, trying to wipe the worst of the muck off himself.  
  
Qui-Gon shook his head. “You’re going to help me find the Duchess and my Padawan,” he said. “Then, you’re going to give me your ship.”  
  
Aurra would have laughed, if the look on the Jedi’s face wasn’t so serious.  
  
“You destroyed our ship,” he continued. “So you’ll be responsible for our passage back to Mandalore.”  
  
“What makes you think it’s safe to go back?” Aurra asked, crossing her arms.  
  
“With your ship, I can contact the Republic,” said Qui-Gon. He clipped Bane’s blaster to his belt, then deactivated his lightsaber. “Try anything and I’ll kill you both,” he warned. “Now follow me. If you try to run, I’ll take your legs.”  
  
Bane and Sing shared a look, then followed Qui-Gon into the swamp.


	79. Chapter 79

Obi-Wan’s skin was burning. His legs were shaky and his arms had gone numb. The mites were still pursuing them, although he was nearly at the top of the hill. He panted, trying not to breathe the bugs in.  
  
On the other side of the hill Obi-Wan could see trees, with a river winding between them. There was no time to pause and take in the scenery, as the mites were relentless.  
  
Obi-Wan wasn’t paying enough attention. He tripped, and Satine spilled from his arms. Rolling forward, over his shoulder, he tumbled down the hill. His back thudded against the ground, and his head hit a rock. When he stopped moving, and sat up, he could feel something wet on the side of his head. Touching it, he saw blood.  
  
Obi-Wan got to his feet, his head spinning. He looked around for Satine. She was lying on her back, her eyes shut tightly, her fingers digging into the dirt. There were tears on her face, and Obi-Wan could sense the pain throbbing in her leg. There was a gash on her arm – a rock, or something, had torn through the fabric of her shirt and cut her skin. It was bleeding freely, dripping onto the ground. He tore the end of her sleeve off and tied it carefully around her arm. The blood soaked the cream-coloured fabric, turning it red, blossoming as Obi-Wan tried to apply pressure to the wound.  
  
“Obi-Wan,” her voice was small, trembling with pain. “My leg…”  
  
He glanced down, not taking his hand away from her wound. Blood from his own head wound trickled into his eye, splashing onto his arm. He blinked furiously, and tried to figure out what was wrong. The splint had stayed on, and the bandage was secure. The fall had exacerbated the pain.  
  
Obi-Wan took a deep breath, and tied the fabric around Satine’s arm. “Come on,” he said, carefully sliding his arms under her back and legs. “We have to keep moving.”  
  
She nodded, wincing with pain as he lifted her. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she rested her forehead against his shoulder. She gasped with pain as Obi-Wan set off, digging her fingers into his skin. Obi-Wan squinted the eye that had blood dripping over it, and concentrated. If they could get to the cover of the trees, they could get to the river and wash. Satine still had the water purifier – or, Obi-Wan hoped she still had it – so they could drink. It was vital they cleaned their cuts, too.  
  
His whole body trembled with pain as he pushed on, gritting his teeth. It was for Satine, he told himself. With a start, he realised that he felt a devotion to her beyond his station. He had felt it for a while, but pretended the feelings weren’t there.  
  
This was not the time to think about his emotions.  
  
Besides, Satine had said she had feelings for a girl back on Mandalore. In Obi-Wan’s mind, that meant she was spoken for. He wouldn’t press the matter further. Not to mention what could happen if he disgraced himself in the eyes of the Order.  
  
Finally, he reached the river. They were obscured from the hill, so if the bounty hunters were following they would be unable to see him or Satine. Obi-Wan placed Satine gently on the ground, making sure that her leg didn’t bump against anything.  
  
Looking at her, he asked, “Do you have the filter?”  
  
She nodded. His breath caught in his throat. This wasn’t luck, he told himself. Maybe the will of the Force, but not luck.  
  
“Keep hold of it,” he said.  
  
Turning his back on her, he waded into the river, ducking his head under the water and washing off as much of the dirt and muck as he could. Wiping the blood from his eye, he returned to Satine, water cupped in his hands. She sat up, propping herself on her good arm, and took the bandage off her wound. He trickled the water into it, watching as it washed away small flecks of dirt and debris.  
  
Obi-Wan took the bandage from her, and washed it in the river, making sure that it soaked as much water up as possible. Once more returning to Satine, he wrung out the fabric over her wound, then bound it again with the wet cloth.  
  
She watched him as he worked, not saying a word. Her teeth were still clenched in pain, and he did what he could to ease that, drawing some of it away from her with the Force. He hadn’t learned enough about healing yet to do more.  
  
“Obi-Wan,” she said, quietly. “Thank you.”  
  
Obi-Wan sat down next to her, hugging his legs to his chest, resting his chin on his knees. “For what?” he asked.  
  
She brushed her fingers against his cheek, then rested her hand on his shoulder. “For keeping me safe. For carrying me. For… everything.”  
  
Obi-Wan smiled sadly at her. “I don’t think I can accept your thanks. A lot of this is my fault, Satine.”  
  
“No,” she said. “It’s not. You’re being foolish, Obi-Wan.”  
  
Obi-Wan shrugged. She took her hand away from him, and he looked into the distance.  
  
“We’re not going far tonight,” he said. “Hopefully they won’t catch up.”  
  
“I need to rest,” Satine said quietly. “But… I think I should have something to drink, if we can’t eat tonight. Can you help me to the river?”  
  
Obi-Wan helped her stand on one foot, then helped her walk to the river. She lay down on her front to drink through the filter, closing her eyes. Obi-Wan helped her back to their resting place before drinking his fill. He’d lost his cloak in the swamp, and they had to lie on the forest floor. Obi-Wan sat next to Satine, leaning back against a tree, and tried to stay awake as she tried to sleep.


	80. Chapter 80

Senator Awhina accompanied the Republic forces from Coruscant to Mandalore. She had contacted Almec, the Prime Minister, before leaving. Over the comms, they had arranged a place to meet.  
  
Almec had been underground with the citizens of Sundari. He had contacted Awhina on a scrambled channel and told her that if she and the army were unable to meet him at the exact time and place he’d specified it would be impossible to contact him.  
  
“I’ll get in touch with you, if things go wrong,” he said. “And there’s no way we can know if our comms have been tapped.” Then he’d laughed, and added, “Unless we’re ambushed.”  
  
She had signed off with a sigh, and worry sitting heavy in her chest.  
  
Now, she was on a shiny Republic cruiser, headed towards the heart of the war. According to Almec, the terrorists were running low on supplies. The people of Mandalore were fighting back – they had been since the beginning, rallying around the Duchess. Their hope was failing, however, and they needed proof that the Duchess was still alive, still willing to support her own cause.  
  
Part of Awhina’s plan was to find the Duchess. It wouldn’t be safe for her to return to Mandalore, not yet, not until the terrorists were subdued. If she could just get a recording of Satine addressing the people, that might be enough to renew their hope. If they knew that she was alive, and well, then they would have something else to fight for. Among other things, war was exhausting. It had been too long since Mandalore had been at peace. It was no wonder, that despite their warrior culture, the Mandalorians supported Satine’s pacifist stance.  
  
It was easy to preach pacifism, Awhina knew. When it came to saving your own life – or that of your family – for most people, it was an easy choice. No matter how much regret came with the choice later, most people would choose what they knew and loved over a stranger.  
  
Awhina knew this well.  
  
She sighed. In her quarters, she was left with her thoughts. Taking a deep breath in, she left her room to find someone to talk to. Republic soldiers weren’t the best company – none of them would admit it, but there was a growing distrust between the military forces and the Senate. Still, Awhina would have chosen bad company over her own thoughts.  
  
Wandering the ship, Awhina tried to concentrate on the tasks ahead. She had spoken with the Admiral on deck, and the Commanders of the squadrons who were on the mission. In this, Awhina would have few duties on the front line. She was grateful for that. Once, she’d been a fighter. Having lost most of her family to the infighting in the Mandalorian system, Satine’s pacifist ideology appealed to her.  
  
Once, Awhina had wanted to join the Mandalorian standing army. She’d been young and foolish then, wanting to follow in the footsteps of her older sister. Her brother had died a bounty hunter. Her mother and sister had died soldiers. Her father had simply died of a broken heart. Awhina was the only Tser left from their family, their clan. There was no way she would allow the same thing to happen to other people.  
  
It was a long shot, but perhaps this war could be ended with as little bloodshed as possible. The terrorists had not called for any sort of negotiations, but there was a chance. There was always a chance.


	81. Chapter 81

Phobos Vizla did not like the way this war was going. The Death Watch had spent precious resources on securing Sundari. The people she had planned on executing had gone underground. The bounty hunters were useless, unable to capture the Duchess of Mandalore.  
  
If Phobos failed, she would fail all her people.  
  
As far back as she could remember, Mandalorians had been warriors. They were strong, proud and deadly. Since childhood, Phobos had trained in the ancient ways of House Vizla. Her parents had told her the stories of Mandalore’s glory days. Their Gods were warriors; the people followed that tradition. To lose this spark that would be to give into stagnation. If Kad Ha’rangir was willing to fight Arasuum for eternity, to protect the Mandalorian people, Phobos was willing to fight this battle.  
  
It was not that she wished for death and destruction. Those were simply a by-product of her fight to protect her people from the idle ways of the New Mandalorian government. Those who were foolish could not see that it was necessary, in order to bring Mandalore to its full potential. That the Duchess and her followers could not lead. If Phobos had to kill Satine herself, she was willing.  
  
Phobos had caught wind of the Republic’s plans to intervene. That coward in the Senate, Awhina Tser, was responsible. Of that Phobos had no doubt. How Almec had contacted the Senate was beyond Phobos. The Death Watch were doing all they could to jam communications from the planet. Now the Republic was sending an army, and she wasn’t sure the Death Watch had the numbers to fight them off.  
  
Phobos wasn’t stupid. The Republic soldiers would be superior. They would be well-fed, well-rested, and fresh from leave. The Death Watch had been fighting for nearly two years, and were running low on resources. Some of her warriors had died. Some had defected. Some, she had executed for betraying the cause.  
  
It was necessary. She expected the same treatment. If she had gone against her own code, she would expect her warriors to punish her duly.  
  
In the building the Death Watch were using as a base, Phobos watched the city of Sundari from a high window. Other than the rubble, it looked the same as it always had. The people who hadn’t fled, or gone into hiding, were living their lives as though nothing was wrong. She admired them. They were the heart of Mandalore. Strong enough to live through anything.  
  
They were who she fought for.


	82. Chapter 82

Almec waited at the meeting place, shifting from foot to foot, his heart thudding in his ears. He felt exposed; an easy target. If the Death Watch came for him now, he’d be done for. He nearly jumped out of his skin as he heard the sound of speeders approaching. The few citizens who had come with him gathered around him, holding their blasters close.  
  
When Almec saw Awhina in one of the speeders, he nearly cried with relief. She leapt from the speeder, a soldier reaching after her as she ran towards the Prime Minister. The soldier shook his head as he parked, and followed Awhina.  
  
She lifted Almec off the ground with her hug, spinning him around. “You’re alive!” she cried.  
  
When she put him down, he patted her awkwardly on the arm. “Yes,” he said. “You knew that already.”  
  
She smiled at him. “Yes, but I didn’t know for sure,” she said. Putting her hands on her hips, Awhina turned to observe the guerrilla troops Almec had amassed. “People of Mandalore,” she said. “The Republic has come to our aid!”  
  
“Where’s the Duchess?” someone asked.  
  
Awhina looked at the person who’d spoken. They were young – too young to be a warrior. Yet they held a blaster in their hands and had a tattoo on their arm that marked them as a sharp shooter.  
  
“We are sending troops to retrieve her as we speak,” Awhina lied. She was, after all, a politician. “She will return to Mandalore and see that we have been victorious! That we have upheld her values and made Mandalore a better place for our efforts!”  
  
There was a slightly more positive response from the small group.  
  
“She knows how hard you have been fighting,” said Awhina. “She is proud of you all. You have the bravery of true Mandalorians. I have promised her to take note of those who have served her best! If you tell me your names, she will hear of your valiant efforts!”  
  
Money was a language everyone spoke. Valour was a lesser known language, but it was something Mandalorians understood.  
  
“Come along, Senator Awhina,” said Almec, taking her arm. “We shall show the Republic what Mandalore can do.”  
  
He spoke loud enough for his freedom fighters to hear. Already, they were looking less afraid. Already, she could see the changes in their posture, their faces, their movements. She smiled. As she followed Almec to his speeder, she knew in her heart that her people would win this war.  
  
Now all she had to do was make good on her words. First, she had to figure out a way to contact the Jedi who were guarding Satine. All contact had been lost. If Satine was dead, however, the terrorists would have announced this publicly, to dishearten the Mandalorian peoples.   
  
No, Satine was alive. Awhina simply had to find out where.


	83. Chapter 83

Satine slept fitfully. She was hot and cold, sore all over, her head throbbing and her leg in indescribable pain. The gash on her arm was burning, and she felt nauseated. Her mind was hazy. Obi-Wan sat watch over her, trying to ease her pain and discomfort, but there was nothing he could do.  
  
Satine was convinced that she would die out here. On Draboon, far from her people and her family. If she could have laughed without her head throbbing, she would have. What a cosmic joke! There was no doubt in her mind that Hod Ha’ran was enjoying the show. The trickster god was known to enjoy flipping fortune on its head. So far, she had been lucky. Now, she was going to die. With all the technology at their fingertips, it was easy to forget that the body could fail so quickly.  
  
Obi-Wan’s words hardly made sense to her any more. He was too loud. The birds were too loud, the bugs were too loud, the damnable monkeys were too loud. Even the river gave her a headache.  
  
So when he started shouting, Satine had to stifle the urge to throttle him. She wasn’t strong enough to try it, anyway.


	84. Chapter 84

Qui-Gon found Satine and Obi-Wan in the forest. Both of them looked awful. Satine’s dark skin was covered in red, raised blotches. On her arm was a dirty bandage, soaked in blood. Her leg was bound by a makeshift splint, and her shin looked oddly distorted.  
  
Obi-Wan didn’t look much better. His skin, too, was recovering from the stings of the venom mites. He had a cut on his head that, thankfully, had scabbed over. His hands were covered in scratches, and Qui-Gon could feel waves of exhaustion emanating from him.  
  
When Obi-Wan spotted him, he leapt to his feet, waving his arms and shouting. “Qui-Gon! Qui-Gon! We’re over here, Master!”  
  
Qui-Gon ran to him, dropping down on one knee to inspect Satine. The bounty hunters followed at their own pace. Qui-Gon looked at Obi-Wan, whose face had dropped. He looked halfway between confusion and anger.  
  
“What are they doing here, Master?” he asked, looking down at Qui-Gon.  
  
Qui-Gon glanced over his shoulder. At the look on Obi-Wan’s face, Sing and Bane had both stopped in their tracks. He looked back at Obi-Wan, and said, “They helped me find you.”  
  
“They tried to kill us!” Obi-Wan snapped. Then he looked away, ashamed at his tone.  
  
Qui-Gon stood, and put a hand on Obi-Wan’s shoulder. “They are bounty hunters,” he said. “They live by a code. They were just doing their jobs.”  
  
Obi-Wan hung his head. “Yes, Master,” he said, but Qui-Gon could sense the fury simmering beneath the surface. He sighed.  
  
“Come on, then,” he said, crouching once more by Satine’s side. “Their ship belongs to us, now.” Qui-Gon looked at the bounty hunters, and asked, “Your ship has a med bay?”  
  
Sing and Bane took this as permission to approach.  
  
“Yeah,” said Sing. “It does.” She wrinkled her nose at Satine’s prone form, and said, “She looks worse for wear.” With a glance at Obi-Wan, she added, “You know, our bounty was to capture her – alive. If you were trying to get that bounty for yourself, you’ve done a bad job of it.”  
  
Qui-Gon wasn’t fast enough to grab Obi-Wan as he launched himself at Sing. He knocked the woman to the ground, getting a few good punches in before she flipped, pinning him. He tucked his knees in and was about to kick her in the stomach when they flew apart. Qui-Gon was standing, glaring at them, holding his arms out. He’d used the Force to part them.  
  
Sing got to her feet, brushing herself off.  
  
Bane grinned at her. “Shouldn’t have goaded the boy, should you?” he said.  
  
Qui-Gon rounded on Obi-Wan. “Is that any way for a Jedi to behave?” he asked, his voice stern.  
  
Obi-Wan shook his head mutely.  
  
“We are better than that, Obi-Wan! She was insulting you, yes, but you should know better than to let your base instincts and emotions to rule you! Control yourself, Padawan. You are not your emotions, you are your _actions_.”  
  
Obi-Wan nodded. “But she –”  
  
Qui-Gon’s expression hardened. “No buts,” he said. “I don’t need to hear excuses for why you threw yourself into a brawl like a drunk. There are bigger things at stake here than your pride, Obi-Wan.”  
  
“Yes, Master,” Obi-Wan replied.  
  
“Good,” said Qui-Gon. Turning back to the bounty hunters, he said, “Contact your ship. One of your droids should be able to bring it to our position. The Duchess requires immediate medical attention.”  
  
Bane nodded, and used his comm to call the ship.


	85. Chapter 85

Dragoneye woke on the ship, his mind fuzzy. He sat up. Looking around, he realised he was in the med bay. He tried to put a hand to his head – and then realised he no longer had arms.  
  
When he had finished cursing, he got to his feet. He made his way to the cockpit, calling out for the other bounty hunters in Shyriiwook. When the comm started ringing, he ordered the med droid – who was following him around anxiously – to answer. It did, being programmed to obedience.  
  
“This is Cad Bane,” the voice spoke over the comm.  
  
Dragoneye rumbled back in response.  
  
“So you’re up and about, are you?” Bane asked. “Good to hear. Doubt you’ll be able to fly the ship, though. Aurra told me what happened with the Jedi.”  
  
Dragoneye grumbled back a response with more than a few swear words. Before he could go off on a rant about what he would do to that Jedi once he had new arms, Bane interrupted.  
  
“About the Jedi,” he said, and Dragoneye felt foreboding in his chest. “Well, you see, he’s asked for our assistance. We’re his ride back to Mandalore. With the Duchess. Who is our bounty.”  
  
There was a pause.  
  
“So it works out for everyone,” Bane said.  
  
Dragoneye didn’t have arms, and couldn’t tear things apart. As much as he’d have liked to, he wouldn’t be able to tear Bane’s arms off when he next saw him. The Wookie settled for kicking a hole in the co-pilot’s chair. He roared and shouted and kicked a few other things. His rage was so great that the med droid hid behind the doorway, trembling.  
  
Bane, on the other end of the line, listened to the cacophony with a bored expression on his face. “He does this,” he said, to the others.  
  
“You _did_ cut off his arms,” Sing looked pointedly at Qui-Gon, who shrugged.  
  
Obi-Wan raised his eyebrows in shock. “Master, you did what?” he asked. “I thought you’d already done that.”  
  
Qui-Gon looked at Obi-Wan, and said, “Wookies are dangerous, even without weapons. It was the best course of action I could take, given our situation.”  
  
“You keep telling yourself that, Jedi,” Bane grumbled. “Because of you, our Wookie friend might not be so willing to help the Duchess.”  
  
“Remind him what the bounty is if she dies,” Sing suggested.  
  
“I have to wait for him to stop his tantrum, first,” Bane said. He sighed. “I spoke to the last people who worked with Dragoneye, some time ago,” he said. “Do you wanna know what they told me?”  
  
Obi-Wan took the bait. Curious as ever, he asked, “What did they tell you?”  
  
Bane gave him a sardonic smile. “‘Don’t work with Dragoneye.’”  
  
“Oh,” said Obi-Wan.  
  
There was finally silence from the other end. Bane turned his attention back to the comm. “We need a pick up,” he said. “I’ll send you our coordinates. Better let the med droid drive, seeing as we don’t have an astromech.”  
  
Dragoneye set off again with a series of swear words and threats of bodily harm. Bane waited for him to finish, taking more than a little pleasure from the fact that Qui-Gon understood exactly what the Wookie was saying. Some of Dragoneye’s threats would serve the Jedi right, going around dismembering people.  
  
“Look, I know you’re angry at him –”  
  
In one of his more polite responses, Dragoneye pointed out that angry didn’t begin to cover it.  
  
“But we need your help. The girl’s taken sick and she’ll die if we don’t get her healed up with proper medical supplies. If she dies, our bounties are less than half of if she lives. Keep that in mind, Wookie.”  
  
Dragoneye grumbled at Bane.  
  
“What’s he saying?” Obi-Wan whispered to Qui-Gon.  
  
Qui-Gon put a hand to his beard. “Well, I’m not repeating him word-for-word,” he said. “But, aside from wanting me dead, he’s agreed to come pick us up.” Turning his back on the bounty hunters, Qui-Gon returned to Satine. After a moment’s hesitation, Obi-Wan followed. “Watch closely, my young Padawan,” Qui-Gon instructed. “I will show you how the living Force can be used to lessen pain.”  
  
“I’ve sort of been doing that already,” Obi-Wan admitted, kneeling down next to Satine as his Master did the same.  
  
“Have you?” Qui-Gon sounded pleasantly surprised. “I’m proud of you, Obi-Wan. That’s not easy to achieve. You must have healer’s hands.”  
  
While the two Jedi chatted over the Duchess’ body, Sing and Bane made themselves comfortable on the ground.  
  
“Dragoneye’s not gonna like the next part,” Sing said. “You should have told him straight up that the Jedi’s gonna contact Mandalore.”  
  
“I don’t plan on letting him,” Bane replied, casually. He was leaning against a tree, his hat tilted over his eyes. “We’ll get them on the ship, then take them to Death Watch. If we jam our own comms we can pretend it’s a fault on the Republic’s end.”  
  
“He’s not going to believe that,” Sing said, shifting slightly. She sat cross-legged, leaning with her elbows on her knees and her chin resting on her hands. “There’s no way he’ll believe that.”  
  
“Then we drug his food, or something,” Bane waved a hand dismissively at her. “We can’t turn Dragoneye against us by _actually_ teaming up with the man who cut his arms off.”  
  
“Look,” said Sing. “I see your point. But each time we’ve gotten close to catching these _wermo_ we’ve suffered some sort of loss. Dragoneye’s arms, the Jango Jumper, the Dathomiri – we’re the only two who’ve come out of this so far with all our limbs and our reputations intact. I’m not risking that for a vengeance hungry carpet.”  
  
“Don’t let him hear you say that,” Bane smiled. “Wookies aren’t fond of nicknames.”  
  
“He can’t do anything about it,” Sing sighed in disgust. “This whole mission is a pile of Bantha fodder.”  
  
Bane nodded in agreement. “I think we can still salvage it, Aurra,” he said. “Just… let me try this plan.”


	86. Chapter 86

Awhina surveyed the Mandalorian freedom fighters. They were filthy, hungry, desperate people, but when she looked in their eyes she saw a spark of defiance. She had tried to bring them hope – speaking of the Duchess, of Mandalore, of the bravery of their people. They had returned that hope to her. Awhina had been terrified for so long, tired and helpless on Coruscant, unable to break through to the pig-headed politicians who cared about nothing but their own interests. True, there were politicians who cared about their own people – but not hers. Chancellor Valorum was corrupt. Any idiot could see that.  
  
“They’re exhausted,” she said, quietly.  
  
Almec nodded. “We’ve been fighting for a long time, Awhina. The addition of Republic troops may turn the tide of this war. If the terrorists are in the same state as we are it will be an easy win.”  
  
“We have to assume they’re dangerous,” said Awhina. “If we underestimate them, it may be the end of our resistance.”  
  
Almec sighed.  
  
The Commander of the Republic troops approached them. Her name was Nia Molokai, and she was a woman who had risen through the ranks quickly. She had been born on Mandalore, too. Awhina had gone to school with her.  
  
“Senator, Prime Minister,” she said.  
  
“What is it, Commander?” Almec asked.  
  
“We need information on the terrorists,” she replied. “Do you know where they’re operating from? Their numbers?”  
  
Almec shook his head. “We have barely been able to keep ourselves alive, Commander,” he said. “Let alone engage in reconnaissance missions.”  
  
Commander Molokai nodded. “Of course,” she said. “With your permission, we will sweep the city. I’m sure we will find their base in no time.”


	87. Chapter 87

Med droids weren’t designed to fly ships, but this one did a decent job. Probably because it was terrified of Dragoneye, who was standing over it, glowering. It guided the ship from the clearing and across Draboon, following the coordinates Bane had sent them. The flight was shaky, and Dragoneye fully expected them to crash. When they landed safely, he was pleasantly surprised. If he’d had arms he would have patted the droid on its head. As it was, he rumbled a thanks before disembarking.  
  
Over in the forest, Bane informed the others that their ride had arrived. Qui-Gon carefully lifted Satine from the ground, and followed the bounty hunters to the ship. Obi-Wan hurried to keep up with his Master.  
  
“She’s going to be okay, isn’t she?” he asked, looking up at Qui-Gon with concern. “I… I haven’t killed her, Master, have I?”  
  
Qui-Gon couldn’t look at Obi-Wan, but he tried to put as much kindness in his tone as possible. “You haven’t,” he said. “I can sense that she will recover, if we get help in time.”  
  
Obi-Wan pressed his lips together, trying not to cry. Aurra’s words had cut deep, and he struggled to believe Qui-Gon’s reassurances.  
  
Dragoneye waited outside the ship, and greeted Bane and Sing as they approached. When he saw Qui-Gon, his face turned hard, but he didn’t say anything. He turned his back on them and returned to the ship. Bane and Sing followed.  
  
As she boarded the ship, Sing turned to Qui-Gon and said, “Come on, I’ll show you where the med bay is.”  
  
He followed her, and Obi-Wan followed him. The droid was waiting in the med bay as they entered, and Qui-Gon gently placed Satine on the bed. She groaned. Her skin was burning hot.  
  
The med droid moved to do its job, and Qui-Gon went with Sing to the cockpit. Obi-Wan remained behind, staying out of the droid’s way, keeping watch over the Duchess. He was trying to banish the thoughts that told him it was his fault, but they persisted. Taking a deep breath in, he sat down beside her, crossing his legs, and closed his eyes.  
  
The sounds of the med droid’s buzzing was the only thing Obi-Wan could hear. Satine’s breathing was quiet and shallow, but he could sense in the Force that the drugs the droid had given her were already easing her pain.


	88. Chapter 88

Qui-Gon stood in the cockpit of the ship. Dragoneye was deliberately ignoring him. Bane was telling him that their comm system was malfunctioning, and it would be a while before he could contact Mandalore. Qui-Gon could sense he was lying, but couldn’t convince Bane to tell the truth without resorting to violence.  
  
“I’ll fix the comms, then,” he said. “I’m good with technology, it shouldn’t be hard.”  
  
“No, no,” said Bane. “How can we trust you with our ship? We can fix this ourselves, just be patient, Jedi.”  
  
Qui-Gon frowned, but bit his tongue. He nodded graciously, and said, “I suppose you need to contact your employers, too.”  
  
“Of course we do,” Sing said, her tone impatient. She was sitting in the pilot’s chair, her feet on the dashboard. “I’ll get to fixing it as soon as I can.”  
  
“Let me know if there’s anything I can do,” Qui-Gon offered. “I’m sure it is as critical you contact your employers as it is I contact my friends on Mandalore.”


	89. Chapter 89

The bounty hunters had to leave the ship to argue, so the Jedi couldn’t eavesdrop. Bane filled Dragoneye in on his plan; delay the Jedi from contacting reinforcements, and take them to Mandalore to deliver the bounty. Dragoneye agreed with Sing – it wouldn’t work. The Jedi was too clever for them.  
  
Bane knew that Qui-Gon knew he was lying about the comm system. Aurra had disabled it as best she could without damaging it. Qui-Gon was right. They would need to contact Death Watch as soon as possible. He didn’t know about Aurra’s augmentations, however. He didn’t know that she could just as easily contact Mandalore as a ship’s comm system.  
  
After arguing for about half an hour, Sing agreed to follow Bane’s plan.  
  
“If it goes wrong, Bane, I’m taking charge,” she warned. Then she went off, to contact the Death Watch where Qui-Gon wouldn’t overhear.


	90. Chapter 90

The Republic forces took the Death Watch by surprise.  
  
A wave of their soldiers – Phobos cursed the sentries who hadn’t noticed their scouts – hit the building with terrifying force. True, the soldiers weren’t Mandalorians, but she had to admire their ferocity. The Death Watch fought back with all they had, but it wasn’t enough. The Republic troops overwhelmed them. They took soldiers prisoner rather than taking their lives. Phobos herself was captured by the Commander of the troops. At least there was some honour in losing that way. Still, she’d rather have died.  
  
“You’re under arrest in the name of the Galactic Republic,” the Commander said. She stood before a group of silent Mandalorians, bound and on their knees.  
  
“You will comply with my orders, you will listen to my soldiers, and if you fight back, you will be killed. You are guilty of high treason against the government of Mandalore, and when the Duchess returns she will see to it that you are duly punished.” The Commander paused. “The Duchess is a fair and reasonable leader. It is likely that you will be shown more mercy than you deserve.” She smiled grimly. “I believe for some of you that will be a worse punishment than execution.”  
  
Other than a few scowls and murmurs, there was no reaction. Their weapons had been confiscated, their helmets taken from them. Mandalorian armour was not only part of their heritage, but part of their honour. To steal even one part was a great insult. Nia knew well that she was making enemies, but having a competent army behind her gave her due confidence.  
  
“We are taking you to the Sundari prison. You will be treated with respect, as befitting prisoners of war. You will pay for your crimes against the Mandalorian people, don’t doubt that.” Nia scanned the crowd of prisoners before her.  
  
“Troops!” her soldiers stood to attention. “Escort the prisoners to jail. Make sure none of them flee. If they try, do not shoot to kill. Stun them. No one is getting out of this that easily.”


	91. Chapter 91

“We have a problem,” Aurra said, pulling Bane aside.  
  
He looked at her suspiciously. “A problem?” His mouth pressed into a thin line, then he shook his head. “Tell me.”  
  
“I can’t get in touch with our employers,” Sing replied, trying to keep her tone neutral. “This is a problem, you see, because there is no reason for this unless; one, our communications are damaged, or; two, there has been a drastic shift in the… direction of this civil war.”  
  
Bane stroked his chin thoughtfully. Then he said, “Our best chance is to return to Mandalore.”  
  
Sing grimaced. “That could go badly,” she said.  
  
Bane tilted his head in a half-nod. “We can turn this in our favour,” he said. “We deliver the Duchess to whoever’s in charge. There will be a reward either way.”  
  
“You can’t know that, Bane!” Aurra nearly shouted, then remembered to keep her voice low.  
  
Bane shrugged. “We’re bounty hunters, Sing. People understand that.”  
  
“No, they’re not,” Sing said. “We work outside the law, you _idiot_. I know you’ve only been at this game a few years but you _have_ to know that much.”  
  
“How is the work on our comm system going?”  
  
Qui-Gon was standing on the ramp of the ship, hand resting on one of the hydraulic supports. Aurra narrowed her eyes at him, wondering how much he’d heard.  
  
“Not good,” Bane replied. “The problem’s worse than we thought.”  
  
Qui-Gon smiled. “Are you sure you don’t want me to take a look at it?” he offered. His tone was genial, and his face revealed nothing more than a genuine wish to help.  
  
Bane smiled in return. “Jedi,” he said. “I don’t trust you.”  
  
Qui-Gon chuckled. “Of course you don’t,” he said. “But we’re stuck with each other for now. Remember what will happen to the three of you if you cross me.” He smiled as he said this. Aurra looked away. Of everyone there, she was the one he had most reason to hate.


	92. Chapter 92

Satine had been in an induced coma for the past few days, and Obi-Wan was fretting. Qui-Gon had tried to help calm his apprentice, to no avail. Obi-Wan had barely left Satine’s side. He’d been treated for the venom mite bites, and they were now just itchy red patches rather than raised bites.  
  
Satine’s bites had lessened too, and there was more colour in her skin, which was a good sign. In the Force, Obi-Wan could sense that she was regaining her energy and health. The med droid had treated the infection in her cut, which had been bandaged properly and was now healing. Her bone would have to be set again once she reached a real hospital, but there was no bacteria in her blood that would send her into septic shock. That was a good thing. Obi-Wan held tightly to the good things, or he would succumb to his panic.  
  
Not having left her side, Obi-Wan was in the room when the droid woke Satine. The droid told him it would take a while for her to wake, so he sat on the spare bed in the med bay and waited.  
  
When he noticed her stirring, he jumped to his feet. Running to her side, he grabbed her hand. “Satine?” he said, his voice hoarse.  
  
“Hm?” she blinked, frowning. He helped her sit up, the med droid hovering nervously beside her.  
  
“Take it easy, ma’am,” it said in its mechanical voice. “You’ve been out of it for a while. Your body is still healing. And I would recommend you stay off your leg until we get to Mandalore for proper treatment.”  
  
Satine looked at Obi-Wan, puzzled. “Obi-Wan,” she said, sounding groggy. “Where are we?”  
  
Obi-Wan couldn’t help the tears. “We’re still on Draboon,” he said. “On a ship. Qui-Gon found us,” he frowned, looking away from her. “We’re working with the bounty hunters.”  
  
Satine’s eyes widened, and she shook her head, lying back down. Putting her hands to her temples, she said, “I must be hallucinating. There’s no way you said what you just said.”  
  
Obi-Wan knelt by her side. “Satine…” he bit his lip, frowning. “It was the only way to save your life. We didn’t have the supplies to keep you well. You had a fever, and a broken leg, and an infection in your arm, and, and…” he started to cry again. It wasn’t pretty, but Satine reached out to touch his cheek. He leaned into the touch, sniffling, and said, “This is all my fault.”  
  
Quietly, Satine answered, “We’ve been over this, Obi-Wan. It’s not your fault.”  
  
He shook his head, drawing away from her. “It is,” he said. “It is.”  
  
Satine glared at him. “If you want to think that, then do so,” she said, harshly. “Meanwhile, I’ll spend my energy on recuperating and getting my strength back. I don’t have time to comfort you, Kenobi, if you aren’t going to believe me.”  
  
Obi-Wan stopped crying, staring at her in shock. He had no words.  
  
“You’re done?” she asked. “Good. Now, tell me what happened. I don’t remember anything after I broke my leg.” Wrinkling her nose, she added, “Actually I do remember the venom mites. And you dropping me,” she turned her head to smile at him. “Good job.”  
  
Obi-Wan sighed, putting his face in his hands. After a moment, he took a deep, shuddering breath in and said, “It’s not my fault you’re heavier than you look.”  
  
Satine raised her eyebrows at him, then grinned. “A true gentleman,” she said. He laughed. “So,” she continued. “What did happen, after you dropped me?”  
  
Obi-Wan shrugged. Once he had filled her in on the events of the past week or so, she regarded him carefully.  
  
“Your Master made a deal with the bounty hunters,” she said evenly. “The people who want to take me back to Mandalore for execution.”  
  
Obi-Wan nodded.  
  
“How does he think this will play out?” she asked, turning her head to look at the ceiling of the room. With a sigh, she said, “I suppose it doesn’t matter now. I have to trust Qui-Gon knows what he is doing and will protect me from the people who want me dead.”  
  
“I trust him,” Obi-Wan said quietly.  
  
Satine glanced at him. Then she reached out and took his hand in hers. “I know you do,” she said. “And he seems a trustworthy man. But there will always be events that are beyond our control. If… if I die, unless it is at your hands, I do not believe blame can fall on you or your Master.”  
  
There was a minute of silence. Then, Obi-Wan spoke hesitantly. “I was worried,” he said. “I was worried you would die. I was worried that I had killed you.”  
  
Satine gave him a small smile. “Well, I’m alive,” she replied. “You’ll have to try harder than that. You should know by now that I’m hard to kill.”  
  
He smiled back. Looking into her eyes, at that moment, he couldn’t deny how he felt any longer. Yet he couldn’t speak the words he so desperately wanted to say. Satine frowned at him, puzzled at his silence.  
  
“Obi-Wan,” she said gently, “What is it?”  
  
He thought he could sense something like anticipation from her, but quickly convinced himself he was being overly hopeful. In any case, Jedi could not have the sort of connections he wanted with Satine. When he didn’t answer, she squeezed his hand.  
  
“Obi-Wan, you know you can talk to me.” He looked away, but she put her fingers beneath his chin, and turned his head to face her. “Obi-Wan. Tell me.”  
  
“Satine… I…” he shook his head. “I can’t.”  
  
She rolled her eyes at him. “You know, you’re one of the most dramatic people I’ve ever met,” she said. “Just tell me. I know already, how you feel about me. I just… want to hear it.” Looking away from him, she said quietly, “I… care about you, Obi-Wan. If not for our respective positions… I would be interested in… pursuing this.”  
  
Obi-Wan felt heat rise in his face. His tongue seemed to be stuck to the roof of his mouth, and he tried to answer, but all that came out was a stuttering noise.  
  
Satine looked back at him, and smiled. “I think I was right,” she said. “Obi-Wan.” Carefully, because of her own hurts, she reached out, grabbing his tunic in her fist. She pulled him close. Their faces inches apart, she placed her hand on his cheek, and leaned towards him.  
  
Their lips met and Obi-Wan’s mouth parted in shock. Satine knew what she was doing, but he was too stunned, and he let her lead the kiss, trying his best not to bang his teeth against hers. It was still an awkward kiss; Satine was lying down, Obi-Wan kneeling beside her, and neither of them had any real energy. It was still the best kiss Obi-Wan had ever had. The only other person he’d kissed was Quinlan Vos, and that had been on a dare, and it had been more of a peck than a proper kiss. The kiss with Satine filled Obi-Wan with a heat he hadn’t experienced before, and when she finally pulled away he sat there with a shocked expression on his face that caused her to laugh.  
  
“I’m sorry if that crossed a line,” she said with a coy smile. “But I thought I would take the chance. I don’t think we’ll be able to do this again, Obi-Wan. Either I will die or resume my seat as Duchess of Mandalore. You will return to Coruscant, to the Jedi, and I know how they feel about personal attachment.”  
  
Obi-Wan took a deep breath in, and closed his eyes. “I’m sorry, Satine,” he said, quietly. “You know where… where I stand.”  
  
He spoke as solidly as he could, but his conviction was shaken. He stood, looking at Satine closely, then closed his eyes. “I have to go,” he said. “I’ll be back, but… I need some time to think.”  
  
Satine nodded. “Of course,” she said. “I’m exhausted. I think I could sleep for a year, if I was allowed.”  
  
“You need to rest,” Obi-Wan replied gently. He nearly lifted his hand, nearly touched her cheek. He didn’t. “We’ll probably return to Mandalore sooner rather than later. It would be smart if you got as much rest as you could before we leave.”  
  
Satine closed her eyes, and Obi-Wan left the med bay. Outside, he leaned against the wall, and buried his face in his hands. He slid down the wall, until he was sitting on the floor, and started to cry.


	93. Chapter 93

Qui-Gon shadowed the bounty hunters for the next few days. He listened, and he watched, waiting for them to slip up. They didn’t leave the comms unguarded for a moment, and he knew he would have to use force if he wanted to take the ship for himself. As long as Satine and Obi-Wan were safe, however, he was in no rush to leave.  
  
To his surprise, Aurra Sing approached him one night, and said, “Jedi. I have something to tell you.”  
  
He looked at her, his hands tucked in the sleeves of his robes. “Go ahead,” he said.  
  
Aurra sighed. “We can’t contact our employers,” she said. “I’m starting to think the tide of the war has turned in your favour. Which means you need to contact your people and tell them what’s happened. You need to tell them that Dragoneye, Bane and I want amnesty.” Looking at Qui-Gon pointedly, she continued. “And payment for aiding you.”  
  
Qui-Gon regarded her for a moment, then said, “Okay.”  
  
Her eyebrows shot up in surprise.  
  
“I assume that means your communications system is working,” he added with a smile.  
  
She laughed. “You’re sharp, Jedi,” she said. Clapping him on the shoulder, she said, “I’ll get you in touch with whoever you need to call. Bane won’t like this, but he can choke on it. I’m more interested in staying alive and out of jail.”  
  
“You’re a practical one, Aurra Sing,” Qui-Gon commented.  
  
“So are you, Jedi,” she replied. “I marked several times you could have taken your revenge on me – for Tatooine and Nal Hutta. Yet it would have been to your disadvantage, wouldn’t it? I think you knew I’d be more willing to work with you than Bane would.”  
  
Qui-Gon tilted his head slightly in agreement. “I didn’t get where I am today through rash and impulsive actions, Sing,” he said. “If you want to survive in this Galaxy, it helps to keep a level head.”  
  
“You’re telling me,” she responded. “Come on, then. I’ll tell Dragoneye to keep watch and make sure Bane doesn’t get in our way.”


	94. Chapter 94

Awhina strolled the catwalks of the prison with Commander Molokai and Prime Minister Almec, observing their prisoners.  
  
“They call themselves Death Watch,” Nia informed them.  
  
“A dramatic name,” Almec commented. “Have you made any headway into finding the Duchess, Commander?”  
  
She shook her head. “We know she went off-world with the Jedi. Our troops are headed to Kalevala, where her family lives, to try and find a lead.”  
  
“I suppose that’s all we can do for now,” he said with a sigh.  
  
Awhina regarded them both. “It’s time we begin rebuilding Sundari, and our other cities,” she said. “Even if the Duchess isn’t on Mandalore. We owe this to our people.”  
  
“Our soldiers are at your disposal, Senator,” Nia said, with a smile. “We will aid in the effort to rebuild Mandalore.”  
  
Awhina looked gratefully at the Commander. “Thank you, my friend,” she said quietly. “I don’t know what would have happened to my people if the Republic hadn’t responded.”  
  
Nia looked away. “I think I can imagine,” she replied.  
  
“But we do not have to think of those things, now,” Almec said, with false cheer. “Our people are safe, and soon the Duchess will return.”


	95. Chapter 95

The comm rang through three times before someone answered. A small hologram of a stout, sharp-eyed woman appeared. She crossed her arms, regarding him. “This is a secure channel,” she said. “I can see you’re either a Jedi or you’ve stolen the clothes of one. Who are you?”  
  
Qui-Gon smiled at her, and said, “Madame, I am Qui-Gon Jinn, Jedi Knight assigned to protect Duchess Satine. May I ask your name?”  
  
The woman’s expression lit up, and she smiled back at him. “Oh, thank the gods!” she said. “How is the Duchess?”  
  
“She is alive, and well,” Qui-Gon replied. “You still haven’t told me your name.”  
  
“Of course,” the woman said. “Senator Awhina Tser.”  
  
“Senator Tser,” Qui-Gon repeated. “I assume you’re the Senator of Mandalore, then?”  
  
She nodded.  
  
“How is the situation on your planet?” he asked. “I would assume that things are better than we left them, if you’ve travelled from Coruscant to aid your people.”  
  
“Mandalore has been secured by Republic forces, Master Jedi,” Senator Tser replied. “We have incarcerated the terrorists and await the return of our Duchess. Let her know that the Republic troops are staying to rebuild Sundari and help in the relief effort for Mandalore.”  
  
Qui-Gon inclined his head graciously. “I will do as you ask,” he said. “Please, tell your people that we will be returning to Mandalore shortly, and that the Duchess is grateful for their loyalty.” He paused, then added thoughtfully, “Dress that up a bit. A stronger word than ‘grateful,’ perhaps.”  
  
Senator Tser grinned. “I know how to talk to the masses, Master Jedi,” she said. “And your news has made my day. I’ll make sure the people hear of this at once. Contact me if anything goes wrong, sir, and I will send an escort of Republic soldiers to your aid.”  
  
“As you say, Senator,” Qui-Gon replied. Hanging up the holocomm, he turned to Aurra Sing. She was standing with her arms crossed, a short distance from him, so that the Senator hadn’t seen her while she and Qui-Gon spoke. He looked at Aurra, then said, “I suppose that means the deal with your employers is off,” he said.  
  
“You didn’t ask the Senator for amnesty _or_ payment,” Aurra replied, a warning in her tone.  
  
“I will speak to the Duchess about that, personally,” said Qui-Gon. “The Prime Minister and Senator both answer to her. If she corroborates my story, that you aided her, rather than hunted her, they will have no choice but to reward you.”  
  
Aurra frowned, thinking. Then she looked at Qui-Gon, a thinly veiled look of murder on her face. “If you double cross me, Jedi…” she left the warning hanging in the air between them.  
  
Qui-Gon simply smiled. “I suppose this means we can return to Mandalore,” he said. “What, may I ask, will you tell Bane?”  
  
Aurra shook her head. “Leave that to me,” she said. “You have no reason to get involved.”  
  
Qui-Gon bowed his head, a mocking smile on his face. They both knew that he had won this battle. Then he left Sing to deal with the other bounty hunters.


	96. Chapter 96

Obi-Wan felt a hand on his shoulder, and looked up, wiping his face on the sleeve of his tunic. His Master crouched before him, a gentle look in his eyes.  
  
“What’s wrong, my young Padawan?” he asked.  
  
Obi-Wan shook his head, sniffing. “It’s nothing, Master,” he said. “I was just… so worried about Satine.”  
  
“How is she?” Qui-Gon asked gently.  
  
“She’s awake,” Obi-Wan replied. “Or, she was awake, and now she’s gone back to sleep because she’s tired.”  
  
“That’s good, Obi-Wan,” said Qui-Gon. “But I can sense you are still distressed. Is there something you wanted to talk to me about?”  
  
Obi-Wan looked up at Qui-Gon. He took a deep breath in, but said, “Not… not right now, Master. I don’t want to start crying again.”  
  
Qui-Gon turned and sat next to his apprentice, his back leaning against the wall.  
  
“Obi-Wan,” he said. “You know if you have any questions, any problems, you can bring them to me. I am your teacher, and it is my duty, my responsibility, to care for your wellbeing. Not just your physical health,” he added. “But your mind, as well. Do you understand?”  
  
Obi-Wan looked at him, and frowned. “What if I’m… what if I’m not good enough?” he asked.  
  
Qui-Gon regarded his apprentice carefully. “In what way?”  
  
“To be a proper Jedi,” Obi-Wan clarified. “What if I’m not good enough to be a Jedi?”  
  
Qui-Gon put a hand on Obi-Wan’s shoulder. “I believe you are,” he said. “You are strong, clear-minded, and stubborn. You are quick on your feet, and good with your words. Most importantly, Obi-Wan, you care about others.” He looked away from Obi-Wan, not taking his hand off the boy’s shoulder. “And if you’re not good enough to be a Jedi, my Padawan, then neither am I.”  
  
“Master!” Obi-Wan exclaimed in shock. “You’re the best Jedi I’ve ever met!”  
  
Qui-Gon chuckled. “It’s flattering that you think so,” he said. “But I am far from the best. My Master, Dooku, and I… well, he never quite agreed with the Council on a few subjects. I have found, as I have gotten older, that there are things I disagree with, too.”  
  
“But they’re the wisest of us,” Obi-Wan said. “Surely they know what they’re doing. They wouldn’t be allowed to be in charge if they didn’t.”  
  
Qui-Gon looked at Obi-Wan, and smiled. “No one being is all knowing,” he said. “Every sentient in the Galaxy will make mistakes. The Jedi are no exception, Obi-Wan. We can strive for perfection, to be paragons of the Light, and of peace, but at the end of the day we are only as good as the actions we take. Decisions made in a moment’s notice may take you down the wrong path, and there is no way of knowing for sure what choices will lead to what outcomes.” He sighed. “All we can do is try,” he said. “The Jedi have made many mistakes, my apprentice. All we can hope for is that we do better, in the future.”  
  
Obi-Wan frowned, looking at the floor as he considered his Master’s words. Qui-Gon took his hand from Obi-Wan’s shoulder, and rested his head against the wall, closing his eyes. The only sound was the gentle mechanical hum of the med droid in the next room.  
  
Then, he said, “I don’t understand.”  
  
Qui-Gon smiled again, his eyes still shut. “Sometimes,” he said quietly, “I’m not sure I understand, either.”


	97. Chapter 97

Dragoneye and Sing eventually managed to convince Bane their plan was for the best. What eventually convinced him was the fact the Republic would pay them if Satine went along with the plan. It took a good few hours of Qui-Gon arguing – or, ‘negotiating’ – with the Duchess, but she eventually agreed. The bounty was less than what they would have been paid by the Death Watch, but the three of them knew well that they would have faced jail without her support. The Death Watch was no longer in any position to pay, too.  
  
Before leaving Draboon, Qui-Gon helped Satine to the cockpit, and she contacted her planet. Senator Tser and Prime Minister Almec were relieved to see her. They agreed heartily that the bounty hunters should be rewarded for aiding her. Satine informed them they would reach Mandalore in the next day or so, depending on how the ship fared. The plan was to head straight from Draboon to Mandalore. There were maintenance checks to perform, however, especially on the engines and hyperdrive.  
  
“Take your time,” Senator Tser advised. “It would do no good if you left Draboon on a faulty ship. We want you home safer rather than sooner, my lady.”  
  
Qui-Gon took Satine back to the med bay, and helped her sit down. The med droid brought a crate for her to rest her bad leg on. She sighed deeply, and rubbed her forehead with her fingertips.  
  
“So,” she said. “It’s over.”  
  
Qui-Gon stood by her, his hands tucked in the sleeves of his robe. “It appears so, Duchess,” he said.  
  
“What an atrocious year this has been. How do I deal with the remains of this war, Qui-Gon?” She looked up at him, and he once again realised just how young she was.  
  
“That’s up to you,” he said. “What do you think you should do?”  
  
Satine closed her eyes, then looked at her hands, which were rested in her lap. “Pursue peace,” she said. “Show mercy. Give them no reason to take revenge on me or mine.”  
  
“And how do you plan to do that?” Qui-Gon watched her as she thought. It was no wonder she’d been elected Duchess. The girl had a sharp mind.  
  
“They already want me dead,” she said, thinking aloud. “And I won’t give them a real reason to want that. No executions. A fair trial for every member of the terrorist organisation who attacked my people. If possible, I will put them to work to restore Mandalore.” She paused in her musings, clenching her hands into fists and then relaxing them. “Then, exile would be the best course of action. Most warriors will be expecting an execution, you see. That is how it has always been done. If I am to rule in the name of peace, if I am to stand by my beliefs, I must break from Mandalorian tradition.”  
  
“Isn’t that what started this war, in the first place?” Qui-Gon asked.  
  
Satine glared at him. “Yes,” she said. “But I believe I am in the right. I don’t want more of my people do die in senseless war, Master Jedi.”  
  
“Many people who thought they were doing the right thing ended up as tyrants,” Qui-Gon said, his voice soft.  
  
“What do you want me to say, Qui-Gon?” she snapped. “I know that I am doing this for my people. I stand by my beliefs. If wanting peace is an evil thing, then perhaps I am evil. But I will not subject my citizens to more war, fear, and bloodshed simply because you try to make me doubt myself!”  
  
Qui-Gon smiled. “You’re a good leader, Satine,” he said. “I believe in your cause. I cannot speak for all the Jedi, but you have my support.”  
  
“So what was the point of that?” she asked. “Why did you bait me like that? What do you gain from making me angry?”  
  
“I was curious.”  
  
“That’s cruel,” Satine looked away from him. “Leave me alone. I don’t want to speak with you further.”  
  
Qui-Gon bowed slightly. “As you wish,” he said.  
  
Once he had left the room, Satine started to cry. She was tired, confused, and overwhelmingly relieved. Her people were safe, and she could return home. Over a year since she’d fled, over a year since the palace had been destroyed, and she was going back. She was alive. They had not managed to kill her.  
  
Satine held her head up and took a deep breath in. No matter what, she swore to herself, she would never stop working to make Mandalore a safer place for her people. No matter what, she would bring peace to her system.  
  
With the end of the civil war, she was one step closer to achieving that goal.


	98. Chapter 98

They left Draboon a few days after Satine had spoken with Senator Tser. The ship had enough fuel to make it back to Mandalore in one piece. Bane flew, with Qui-Gon as co-pilot.  
  
Since their kiss, Obi-Wan had avoided Satine. As the ship left Draboon’s surface, however, he steeled himself to speak with her. Entering the med bay, Obi-Wan clenched his fists, steadying his breath. Satine looked up as he entered, and smiled at him.  
  
“Hello,” she said. “Where have you been?”  
  
He felt himself blush, and walked to her side.  
  
“Satine,” he started. His voice had cracked on the word, and he blushed harder at that. She did a good job at pretending she wasn’t amused. “I’ve been thinking,” he continued. “And… I do… care about you.”  
  
She watched him, waiting for him to keep talking. She wasn’t going to interrupt.  
  
“And if… if it were different, then, maybe…” he trailed off, unable to bring himself to say the words he desperately wanted to say.  
  
Satine’s expression softened, and she smiled. “I understand,” she said quietly. “Thank you for telling me, Obi-Wan. I… I would like it if you would stay with me, for now. If you can.”  
  
Obi-Wan hesitated, then nodded. He sat next to her bed, leaning his back against it and facing the opposite wall. They stayed that way, in companionable silence, until eventually they both fell asleep. It had been a long time since Obi-Wan had slept restfully.


	99. Chapter 99

Their arrival on Mandalore would long be remembered. Senator Tser, Prime Minister Almec, and Commander Molokai waited for them on the landing bay, as Qui-Gon and Cad Bane brought the ship down to land. Below, hundreds of thousands of people had turned out to see the Duchess Satine returned to Mandalore. There were fireworks and streamers, music and dancing, celebrations in the streets of Sundari.  
  
Satine, supported by Qui-Gon, couldn’t stop smiling as she disembarked from the bounty hunters ship. There were tears on her cheeks as she greeted the Senator and Prime Minister, and thanked the Commander for her services to Mandalore. Behind Qui-Gon and Satine stood Obi-Wan, nervously playing with his braid. Behind them, stood the three bounty hunters. Armless Dragoneye, Aurra Sing, and Cad Bane, watching silently as the reunion played out before them.  
  
With the help of the Senator and Prime Minister, Satine made her way to the edge of the landing platform to address her people. A hush fell over the crowd as she waited, staring down at her people with a proud look on her face.  
  
“People of Mandalore,” she said, her voice echoing through the streets. “You have fought long and hard for your freedom. The peace I envisioned for our proud system is here at last!”  
  
The crowd broke into cheering, and Satine waited until they calmed down to continue her speech.  
  
“These terrorists tried to kill me,” she said. “They tried to stop me from bringing peace to our system! They didn’t know that even without me, you had the strength to repel them! They underestimated you, my people! Mandalore will not be broken!”  
  
The crowd went wild at those words. Through the roar of the crowd, Sing could hear a word being chanted, over and over. “Satine! Satine! Satine!”  
  
Satine beamed down at them, and Senator Tser spoke in her ear. “They love you, Duchess.”  
  
“I have their loyalty,” Satine said, scanning the crowd. “Now I have to live up to their expectations.”


	100. Chapter 100

The Prime Minister and Senator Tser made sure that Satine visited a hospital before she was allowed to make her way to the prison. By that time, the bounty hunters had been rewarded. Dragoneye had been given cybernetic prosthesis and had only threatened Qui-Gon, rather than actually attacking him.  
  
“I think he’s starting to like you,” Aurra commented with a grin.  
  
After that was sorted, the bounty hunters left Mandalore. Qui-Gon checked to make sure they’d actually left. The Duchess was still his charge, until the Republic had swept Sundari and made sure it was safe. Qui-Gon was delaying the moment where he would inevitably have to contact the Council and inform them his mission was complete.  
  
Qui-Gon told himself it was because there was a chance the Duchess was still in danger. He told himself it wasn’t because his Padawan needed more time with her, to figure out his feelings. Obi-Wan was still young, and he wouldn’t leave the Order for a girl. Still, Qui-Gon wanted Obi-Wan to have some sort of closure. He knew, too, that Obi-Wan wouldn’t speak to him about this. It was up to Obi-Wan how he handled this situation.  
  
Satine was still in hospital when the bounty hunters departed. The bottom half of her leg needed surgery. Against the wishes of the doctors, the Senator, and the Prime Minister, Satine declined.  
  
“I need to see the people who tried to kill me,” she said. “I can’t wait. These people need to know what their punishment will be for hurting my people. And the longer they’re in prison, the hungrier our people will become for vengeance. The more likely, too, that they will escape.”  
  
So, against everyone’s wishes, Satine left the hospital with her Jedi bodyguards. Her leg had been splinted, and wrapped in a cast. She had crutches, and had more mobility than before. The cut on her arm had healed, but there would always be a scar.  
  
Satine took a speeder from the hospital to the prison, accompanied by the Jedi and Commander Molokai. The Senator and Prime Minister followed behind in another speeder.  
  
Commander Molokai helped Satine out of the speeder once they reached the prison. Obi-Wan followed them, hovering behind Satine. Qui-Gon walked beside his Padawan, pretending not to notice Obi-Wan’s obvious display of emotion. Senator Tser and Prime Minister Almec hurried to catch up. Considering she had a broken leg, Satine could move fast.  
  
“Duchess, what are you planning on doing?” Senator Tser asked, when she’d caught up with Satine.  
  
Satine didn’t look at her as she answered. “I’m going to talk to their leader,” she said.  
v “Is that really the best idea?” the Senator asked.  
  
“I want to see the person that tried to kill me,” Satine said. “And I want them to know that I will show them mercy. I want them to know that no matter what they do, I will not back down from my stance.”  
  
“That’s brave of you, Duchess,” said the Prime Minister. “But perhaps not the smartest thing to do. We do not know –”  
  
“Prime Minister Almec,” Satine interrupted. “I appreciate your insight. And yours, Senator Tser. But I have made a decision and I plan to see it through. I have more than enough protection, and I would like to give these people a chance to negotiate with me. I will not be a tyrant, Prime Minister, choosing who to kill and silencing those who disagree with me. You of all people should understand that.”  
  
The Prime Minster fell silent. With Satine in the lead, they were admitted into the prison. Here, Commander Molokai took charge, showing Satine the way to Phobos Vizla’s cell.  
  
The leader of the terrorists got to her feet, sauntering over to the glass and grinning at Satine. She reminded Obi-Wan of a nexu. Putting a hand to the glass, she said, “So, our gracious Duchess has come to visit me.”  
  
“Tell me your name,” Satine said, staring the woman down.  
  
Her grin grew wider. She leaned forward. “Phobos,” she said. “Phobos Vizla, head of House Vizla. Are you here to cut my head off yourself, oh peace-loving Duchess of Mandalore?”  
  
Satine glared at her. “No, Phobos Vizla of House Vizla,” she said evenly. “I am not going to execute any of you.”  
  
Phobos raised an eyebrow. “Then what do you plan for us, Duchess? Are we to rot in jail for the rest of our natural lives?”  
  
Satine shook her head. “No,” she said again. “I have decided that you, and your warmongering followers, will be exiled.”  
  
Phobos was still for a moment, then hit the glass with her fist so hard Obi-Wan was surprised it didn’t shatter. She was snarling now, something wild in her eyes, and Obi-Wan knew that if there was nothing separating her from the Duchess, Satine’s life would be in very real danger. Phobos spewed a string of curses in Mando’a, spitting on the glass in front of her. She pounded on the glass with her fists, her voice rising.  
  
“Come on, Duchess,” said Commander Molokai, touching Satine’s elbow. “We should leave her to cool down. The guards will take care of this.”  
  
Satine sighed, then followed the Commander. Someone would organise an official conference where Satine would announce, with the support of the Senator and Prime Minister, her plans to exile the terrorists to the planet of Concord Dawn. It was still in the Mandalore System. These people were still Mandalorians. What they had done was punishable by death, but Satine had already broken from Mandalorian tradition.  
  
From the prison, they visited various sites around Sundari. The people of Mandalore were working side by side with the Republic forces to rebuild their city. It was going to be a long process, and Satine knew that the city would not be the same as it had been before. The palace would be rebuilt, of course, and until then Satine would live in her family’s apartment in the inner city.


	101. Chapter 101

Over the next few days Satine visited her people. She still refused to get her leg treated properly, moving around on her crutches, her Jedi bodyguards following. She had offered them use of her apartment – Qui-Gon slept in the spare room, and Obi-Wan on the couch.  
  
As tempting as it was to not sleep on the couch, Obi-Wan knew that Qui-Gon would know if he tried anything with Satine. Plus, he wasn’t sure Satine actually wanted to try anything with him. There were a few rough nights on that couch for Obi-Wan.  
  
It only got more difficult to spend time with Satine when her family visited. Obi-Wan recognised her mother and younger sister when they burst through the front door. Satine leapt to her feet to greet them. Her mother and sister were followed by another girl, who looked older than Satine, and a man who was probably her father. Obi-Wan tried to remember the names that Satine had told him, but could only recall the name of her mother – Marama – and her older sister – Nyree.  
  
“Satine!” Marama shouted, scooping the Duchess up in her arms.  
  
The little red-headed girl came over to Obi-Wan and glared at him. He looked at her, puzzled.  
  
“What do you think you’re doing?” she said.  
  
“What?” he asked.  
  
“You’re not allowed to kiss my sister,” she replied, crossing her arms. “She doesn’t like boys!”  
  
Obi-Wan shook his head, still confused. “What are you talking about?” he asked.  
  
The little girl didn’t answer his question. Instead, she kicked him in the shin and ran back to her mother. He watched her, unsure of what had just happened.  
  
Satine’s older sister sat next to him, looking at her family with a smile. “Sorry about Bo,” she said. “She doesn’t like boys – except for Dad, because he spoils her.”  
  
Bo’s dad had lifted her onto his shoulders, a dazzling grin on his broad face. He had hair unlike any of his girls – tightly curled and dark. Bo was laughing as he twirled around, pretending he’d lost her, holding tightly to her legs so she wouldn’t fall off his shoulders. Satine watched with a fond smile, and Marama had her hands on her hips, saying, “Tahu, don’t drop her.”  
  
“She kicked me,” said Obi-Wan.  
  
“Yeah,” Nyree said with a shrug. “She does that. She’s obsessed with stories about the old warriors of Mandalore, and with the myths about Kan Ha’rangir.” At the look of confusion on Obi-Wan’s face, she clarified. “A god,” she said. “A warrior god.”  
  
“So… why did she kick me?”  
  
Nyree laughed. “She doesn’t like boys,” she said again. “It’s as simple as that, really.”  
  
Obi-Wan looked back over at them, then to Nyree. He sighed, resigned. “I suppose,” he said. Holding out his hand for her to shake, he said, “Obi-Wan Kenobi.”  
  
Nyree took his hand, and told him her name. Then she asked, “So, you’re a Jedi?”  
  
Obi-Wan tilted his head a little in a shrug, his braid swinging slightly. “Sort of,” he said. “I’m a Padawan. So I’m a Jedi, but not a Jedi Jedi.”  
  
Nyree regarded him with a sceptical look, then said, “Okay.”  
  
They fell into silence, watching Tahu and Marama fuss over Satine while Bo played with her father’s hair. Qui-Gon was standing to one side, a smile on his face. Satine introduced him to her family, and Marama rushed over to him, shaking his hand vigorously.  
  
“You’re the reason my daughter’s still alive!” she said. “I can’t thank you enough for that, Master Jedi.”  
  
Qui-Gon deflected the praise as graciously as he could, saying, “It’s my job, Madame. I had a responsibility to your daughter. As she is a person who wants to bring peace to the Galaxy, I was proud that I was chosen to protect her.”  
  
It was almost imperceptible, the change in Marama’s expression when Qui-Gon mentioned peace. Yet both he and Obi-Wan sensed that this was a difficult topic for the family. Not everyone agreed with Satine, it seemed. Even within her own family there were ideological differences.  
  
The Kryze family stayed for dinner. Satine didn’t cook; she was still in a cast and unable to move around without her crutches. Nyree helped Tahu, her father, cooked a banquet sized meal together.  
  
They baked it in a layered cylinder, with electric stones on the bottom layer. The meat came second, then the vegetables, and then a pudding for desert was on the top row. They were separated by a wire base and foil. The cylinder was wrapped, then left to bake. The apartment filled with delicious smells that made Obi-Wan’s stomach growl.  
  
When dinner was ready he and Qui-Gon helped Tahu serve the dishes. Bo-Katan followed them around the kitchen, keeping a close eye on Obi-Wan. Since returning to Mandalore, Obi-Wan had eaten well, but nothing that he’d eaten compared to this dinner. He ate enthusiastically. With Qui-Gon’s eyes on him, he made an effort to remember his manners.  
  
Satine’s family had decided they would stay overnight in their apartment – after all, it did belong to Tahu and Marama. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon both had to sleep in the lounge room. Marama provided them with an inflatable mattress, for Obi-Wan. Satine had to share her room with Nyree, and Bo-Katan slept in the same room as her parents. Satine apologised to Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon for the inconvenience.  
  
“It’s no problem,” said Qui-Gon.  
  
“I don’t mind,” Obi-Wan responded.  
  
Satine smiled at him. The two of them hadn’t been able to find a moment alone together. Obi-Wan was still burning with questions, unsure of what action to take next. Yet he had been unable to open up to Qui-Gon, and unable to talk to Satine.


	102. Chapter 102

After Satine’s family left, Obi-Wan managed to to talk with her. Qui-Gon had gone out to contact the Jedi, and Obi-Wan knew that meant they were leaving Mandalore soon. With just Satine and Obi-Wan in the apartment that night, he took the chance to speak with her.  
  
“Satine,” he said. “I… wanted to ask you something.”  
  
Satine was sitting on the couch, looking over a datapad. Each day, she spent her waking hours working, trying to help Mandalore. Yesterday, the exile of the terrorists had been finalised, and Obi-Wan knew that meant Qui-Gon had run out of excuses to stick around.  
  
Satine looked at Obi-Wan, raising an eyebrow. “What is it, Obi-Wan?”  
  
He took a deep breath in, and sat down next to her. Satine put her datapad on the table, and turned her full attention to him. He tried not to get distracted by how smooth her skin looked, or her dark brown eyes. He was especially focused on not looking at her lips. He hadn’t stopped thinking about their kiss.  
  
“I… uh,” all his careful thinking and planning had gone out the window. Obi-Wan was lost for words.  
  
This never happened to him. He was good at talking. He could convince almost anyone to do almost anything. He’d known since he was little that he was charming, and used it to his full advantage before the other Jedi had started to catch on.  
  
“Obi-Wan,” Satine crossed her arms. “I don’t want to have to guess what you’re thinking.”  
  
Obi-Wan took a deep breath in. Letting it out, he spoke quickly, hoping that saying the words as fast as he could would make it easier.  
  
“Satine I really like you and I want to spend one night with you before I have to leave Mandalore but we don’t have to it’s up to you I –”  
  
Satine put a finger to his lips, and he stopped talking.  
  
“What do you mean by ‘spend one night with you?’” she asked.  
  
Obi-Wan looked away as she took her finger from his lips. “I… whatever you want me to mean,” he said.  
  
Satine sighed. “Obi-Wan, you don’t sound sure. I don’t think you know what you want.”  
  
Obi-Wan shrugged. “I know I want to be with you, Satine.”  
  
She placed her hand on his knee. “Don’t push yourself, Obi-Wan. You’ll only end up hurting yourself. And me.”  
  
Obi-Wan took her hand in his and kissed it. Then he leaned forward, tracing his fingers up her bare arm, and kissed her gently on the lips. She put her hand on his cheek and kissed him back, parting his mouth with her tongue and moving her hand from his face to his neck. This kiss was much better than their last one. Obi-Wan put his hands on Satine’s shoulders and moved closer to her, tasting the sweet zsajhira berry flavour of the tea she had been drinking.  
  
When Satine asked him if he wanted to come to her bedroom, he agreed readily.


	103. Chapter 103

Obi-Wan was able to steal more kisses from Satine before he and Qui-Gon had to leave Mandalore. She saw them off from the landing bay, where a Mandalorian Firespray-31 class ship waited to take them back to Coruscant. The ship belonged to Senator Tser, but she would be returning to Coruscant with the Republic troopers, and had loaned the Jedi her ship.  
  
Obi-Wan didn’t take his eyes off Satine as Qui-Gon started the ship. She stood still, her hands clasped before her, watching him intently. As they left the landing bay of Sundari, she dwindled in size until she was just a dark dot on the silvery bay. Obi-Wan had never known his heart could actually hurt in such a way.  
  
“What’s troubling you, Obi-Wan?” Qui-Gon asked as they left the bio-dome that surrounded Sundari.  
  
Obi-Wan sat back in his chair. “Nothing, Master,” he said, quietly.  
  
Qui-Gon sighed. “Obi-Wan, I can tell when you’re lying to me. Did something happen between you and the Duchess?”  
  
Obi-Wan blushed – his pale skin was a curse sometimes. Satine had told him she liked his freckles, but he could never tell if _she_ was blushing. Obi-Wan blushed a lot. At least, he had in his last few days with her.  
  
“No,” he mumbled. “Nothing happened.”  
  
“If you say so,” Qui-Gon replied.


	104. Chapter 104

It was strange, being on Coruscant again.  
  
The Temple hadn’t changed. Obi-Wan followed Qui-Gon through the halls as they made their way to the Council tower to report. Obi-Wan had mixed feelings about being back. On one hand, this was his home. He’d known it since he was three years old, and he didn’t remember Stewjon. All he had known was the Temple. The life of a Jedi.  
  
Now he knew there were other things, outside of the Order. He knew there was Satine. He had never known he could feel like this – it was as if he were seeing the sky for the first time. All he had thought of was how it felt when he kissed her, as if he vanished – or, as if they became one person.  
  
Maybe he was being overly romantic. He wasn’t even sure if he loved her. But he knew that he cared for her, truly and deeply. It pained him that things weren’t different, but he loved his home, his family. Obi-Wan wanted to be a great Jedi, like his Master, and like Master Yoda. He wanted to be able to help people all across the galaxy.  
  
There was little doubt in his mind that he would see Satine again. Politicians and Jedi often crossed paths. He did not think that it would be anytime soon. Qui-Gon knew he felt something for Satine, and Obi-Wan knew that it wasn’t okay. Or, it was against the Code to get too attached to any one person. So it was unlikely that Qui-Gon would allow Obi-Wan to see Satine, or contact her. It seemed unfair, but those were the rules. He wasn’t even going to ask Qui-Gon for special treatment.  
  
Obi-Wan’s thoughts wandered as Qui-Gon reported to the Council. He addressed Masters Yoda and Windu, courteously glancing at the other Council members every so often. Obi-Wan tried to attend to the conversation, but he’d been there for the actual events.  
  
It wasn’t as interesting hearing Qui-Gon retell the story. Qui-Gon was using the boring voice he used when he talked to the Council, too. It was a wonder that none of them had fallen asleep. Master Sifo Dyas looked close to passing out.  
  
“Distracted, you seem, Padawan Kenobi.” Yoda’s voice brought Obi-Wan back to the present.  
  
“Sorry, Master Yoda,” he replied, bowing his head. “It has been a long year.”  
  
“Not the only thing bothering you, this is,” Yoda said, scrutinising Obi-Wan. “Something to add, you have?”  
  
“No, Master,” he said. “I’m just tired.”  
  
Obi-Wan felt as though Yoda could see right through him, but the little Master said nothing more to him. He turned his attention back to Qui-Gon.  
  
“Your report, I thank you for,” he said. “Good to hear it is, that once again safe Mandalore is. Hope the Duchess will keep the peace, I do. Master Qui-Gon, Padawan Kenobi. Leave, you may.”  
  
Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan bowed low to the Council, then left the rooms.  
  
“Come, Obi-Wan,” said Qui-Gon. “I know you’re not tired. I want to talk to you, in private if possible.”  
  
Obi-Wan’s stomach dropped. He was in trouble, he knew it. Qui-Gon knew what he had done with Satine. His face burned with shame, but he followed his Master anyway, hurrying to keep up with Qui-Gon’s long stride.


	105. Chapter 105

“Qui-Gon!” the Besalisk, Dex, wrapped his arms around Qui-Gon in greeting. When he let go, he put two of his hands on his hips and gesticulated with the other two as he spoke. “It’s been forever! Where have you been?”  
  
Qui-Gon smiled, and tapped the side of his nose. “Jedi business, Dex,” he said. “Care to sit with us?”  
  
Obi-Wan glanced around Qui-Gon, and Dex noticed him for the first time. “Ah,” he said. “You brought your boy. How’s he treating you, kid?”  
  
Obi-Wan shrugged.  
  
“Talkative as ever,” Dex laughed. “All right, all right, come on. Let’s go take a seat.”  
  
He led them to a booth, and took up one whole seat to himself. Obi-Wan had to sit next to his Master. Fingers tapping on the table, Obi-Wan listened to his Master chat with the Besalisk.  
  
“I was worried about you for a while, friend,” said Dex. “It’s good to see you in one piece.”  
  
“And you, Dex,” Qui-Gon replied. “But you should know that’s how the Jedi operate. We’re off world a lot. Keeping the peace in the Galaxy.”  
  
Dex laughed. “Of course you are,” he said. “Now, what do you want to eat?” he waved a waitress droid over, and she took their orders. Obi-Wan ordered a blue milkshake and some cake, and waited impatiently for them to arrive.  
  
“Your girl Shmi’s off-world,” Dex said, turning his attention back to Qui-Gon.  
  
Qui-Gon shook his head, smiling. “Dex, she’s not my girl,” he said. “And why’s she off-world? I thought she was having a child?”  
  
Dex nodded. “She went to Tatooine, and she’s not come back.” Dex considered his words for a moment, then clarified. “As far as I know everything went fine. There was an announcement about it on the HoloNet, a small one. Being that she’s the woman who liberated Tatooine.”  
  
“Thank you for telling me, Dex,” said Qui-Gon. His and Obi-Wan’s food arrived, and the Besalisk struggled out of his seat.  
  
“I have to get back to work,” he said. “You two enjoy your meal – it’s on the house.”  
  
Obi-Wan moved seats once Dex was gone, so he could sit across from Qui-Gon. As he started on his meal, Qui-Gon rested his arms on the table and said, “Obi-Wan, I wanted to talk to you about Satine.”  
  
Obi-Wan concentrated on his food.  
  
“I know that you had… have feelings for the Duchess. I don’t know if you acted on them, and it’s not my business if you did. You’re young, Obi-Wan. This is one of many choices that you will have to make. I want you to think about what you want from your life.”  
  
Obi-Wan frowned. “You have feelings for Senator Skywalker,” he said, grumpily.  
  
Qui-Gon inclined his head, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. “I know what I chose, Obi-Wan,” he said. “Senator Skywalker is my friend, yes, but the Order comes first. You, my Padawan, come first.”  
  
Obi-Wan put down his fork and looked up at Qui-Gon in shock. “What do you mean?” he asked.  
  
Qui-Gon smiled at him. “The way you handled yourself, Obi-Wan, on Draboon and Mandalore… I’m proud of you. If you continue down this path, you’ll make a fine Jedi.”  
  
Obi-Wan’s eyes filled with tears, and he ducked his head so Qui-Gon wouldn’t see him cry. Qui-Gon put a hand on his Padawan’s shoulder, and said, “It’s okay.”  
  
Obi-Wan started to sob, and Qui-Gon moved to his side, to put his arm around Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan leaned against Qui-Gon, crying onto his robes. Qui-Gon patted Obi-Wan on the arm, telling him that everything was all right.  
  
When Obi-Wan stopped crying, he sniffled, and pulled back from Qui-Gon. “I’m sorry, Master,” he said. “I really am tired. I think I need to rest for a while.”  
  
“Of course,” said Qui-Gon. “We’ll head back to the Temple after this. Maybe you should go to the med bay and get a check-up. I was thinking of going myself, to make sure I hadn’t picked up some strange tropical disease from Draboon.”  
  
Obi-Wan laughed, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand. His nose was red and his eyes were puffy, but he felt a little better for crying. Being able to talk to Qui-Gon was good, too. He admired his Master, but he sometimes forgot that Qui-Gon was human – with flaws and emotions and mistakes.  
  
As he got older, Obi-Wan had realised that not every Padawan was able to be as close to their Master as he was. Qui-Gon felt like family to him. It was almost like having a dad, he thought. Obi-Wan didn’t remember his father, and the only family he’d known was the Jedi. Yet Qui-Gon treated him like an equal, almost, and he rarely lost his temper. Even if he didn’t see himself the way that Obi-Wan saw him, he was a good teacher.  
  
“That sounds like a good idea, Master,” he said. “If I can finish my cake first?”  
  
Qui-Gon smiled at him genially, and nodded. “I’m pretty hungry myself,” he said. “Talking to the Council takes a lot out of me. Sometimes I don’t know why we have to report every detail to them.” Sitting back in his seat, Qui-Gon continued. “I’m sure that they don’t need to know everything that went on in our mission, but they still insist we stand there and recount it word for word.”  
  
Obi-Wan frowned. Sometimes Qui-Gon complained about the Council, but he’d never brought up this particular grievance before.  
  
“Do you get bored with them, too?” he asked carefully.  
  
Qui-Gon laughed. “That’s the perfect word for it, Obi-Wan,” he said. “Bored. I think they do it to test us.”  
  
“What do you mean?” Obi-Wan asked. He wasn’t sure if Qui-Gon was joking or not.  
  
Qui-Gon leaned forward, and spoke in a conspiratorial whisper. “I think there are more than nine steps to the Trials,” he said.  
  
Obi-Wan narrowed his eyes.  
  
“I think that talking to the Council is one of the Trials they put Jedi through, to test our resolve and dedication to the Order.”  
  
Obi-Wan thought for a moment, then leaned back, crossing his arms. “You’re messing with me,” he said.  
  
Qui-Gon grinned. “It’s a good theory, isn’t it?” he asked. He finished his salad, putting his fork into the bowl. Leaning back, he said, “Are you going to be okay, Obi-Wan?”  
  
Obi-Wan looked down at the crumbs of cake on his plate. He’d already finished his milkshake. He shrugged. “I think so,” he said. Looking back up at Qui-Gon, he added, “I think that rest and training will really help.”  
  
“If that’s what you want,” said Qui-Gon.  
  
“Are you going to visit Senator Skywalker?” Obi-Wan asked quietly. “On Tatooine?”  
  
Qui-Gon looked at his apprentice steadily. “I have no reason to go to Tatooine,” he said.  
  
Obi-Wan looked Qui-Gon straight in the eyes. “So her kid… they’re really not yours?”  
  
Qui-Gon raised an eyebrow. “You really think that I would lie about something like this?” he asked. Then he frowned. “Obi-Wan… were you jealous of this child?”  
  
Obi-Wan shook his head.  
  
“I can tell when you’re lying,” said Qui-Gon. “You have nothing to be jealous of, Obi-Wan. If I was going to leave the Order for Senator Skywalker, I would have done so already. I hope you trust me enough that you’ll believe me.”  
  
Obi-Wan looked up at him again, and nodded.  
  
“Good,” said Qui-Gon, getting out of his seat. “Well, we should head back to the Temple, then, and drop by Master Che in the med bay. Come on, Obi-Wan.”  
  
Obi-Wan hurried after Qui-Gon, his mind swimming with questions and thoughts. They were in such disorder, however, he thought he would wait until they sorted themselves out. Then he would sit down with Qui-Gon, again, and talk to him about the Jedi.


End file.
